The Need to Be Perfect
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
The pressures of society are increasing now more than ever. There is always the constant need to do more and to be better. We constantly feel the need to be perfect. Striving for perfection only leads us to compare ourselves against others. It leaves us feeling like we have a piece missing in our lives that keeps us from being happy.
I often get stuck playing the game of comparison and it really drags me down. It often goes something like this:
She is so much prettier than I am.
She has so many more friends than I have.
If only I could run as fast as she could.
She has cuter clothes than I have.
If only I could be the smartest person in my class.
Why can’t I just be perfect?
And so on.
Through the years I have learned that this game of comparison does more harm than good. Playing this game only drags me down and it can quickly turn any good day into a bad one.
We live in a world where everyone is competing to be the best at something. Well, guess what? NO ONE is perfect. God created us to be exactly the way HE wants us to be. We are perfectly made in his eyes.
The next time that you start to compare yourself to someone, remember that you are beautiful and special in your own way. God gave each one of us our own set of talents and gifts. God does not want us to focus on society’s idea of perfection because he wants us to see that he made us perfect by his own definition of perfect.
That piece you feel is missing in your life is really God. God is the only one who can make us truly happy. We should not find our satisfaction in trying to achieve perfection because it will never make us truly happy.
Instead of always comparing yourselves to others, focus on enjoying each and every moment of your day. Stop and take some deep breaths. Push out those negative thoughts and instead add some positive thoughts. Think about all of the talents and gifts that you do have. Life would be so boring if God made us all to be exactly the same as everyone else.
Trust me, you will be a lot happier if you stop playing the game of comparison and instead focus on the gifts that God has given you! You are incredible just the way you are! You are fearfully and wonderfully made!