Perfection is Overrated
“For God is greater than our hearts and knows everything…” – 1 Jn 3:20
I have something to come clean about: I’m a struggling perfectionist. I know I’m not perfect, but I spent much of my life chasing the idea of perfection. I want all my actions to be the highest quality, and everything I own to be pristine and proper. More of my mental space is occupied with perfection than I want to admit, and when I don’t meet those lofty requirements, I’ll feel like I disappointed myself and hyperfixate on what already happened. Normal wear and tear? More like, I neglected my belongings. It’s okay to make mistakes? More like, I failed to get it right the first time or I need to do better. And while I am actively working on it through my support network and in practicing kindness to myself, it challenges me.
Each time I reflect on this struggle, I wonder why I chase this. Why does my heart and mind crave this perfection? Especially around this time of year, I’m surrounded by new year’s resolutions of working on new hobbies or transforming myself physically or mentally. Or perhaps I’ll scroll through social media highlighting reels of perfect moments on Instagram. However, even with my struggles regardless of where they come from, I am reminded everything will be okay, because I am called to something paradoxically greater than perfection.
Today’s readings encapsulate the joys of simply being called as we are. Called to be God’s disciples and follow Him before anything else. Called to cry out in joy and gratitude for each new day in this new year. The beautiful thing is we do not have to be perfect to be called for this, to work on this. In fact, God’s inviting us as we are, imperfections and all, to be with Him. Even as I face my perfectionism and stumble at times, God will not stop calling for me. He gently reminds me how He lovingly created me and accepts me for who I am. That everything will be okay. God will never stop calling for any of us, no matter where we are in our lives, no matter what insecurities we have in our hearts or worries in our mind. We are loved by a God who is greater than our hearts and knows everything. Whether we recognize God each and every morning or if we’re so embroiled in our own struggles to acknowledge Him sometimes, God will never stop reaching out to us to lift us up and help us with our burdens. We do not need to be perfect in everything or really in anything, because God is greater than perfection, and with God, so are we.
We have something to come clean about: we are loved and called by God.
Kevin Nguyen