Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection

I have this phrase posted in my classroom because so many of my students talked about having perfect musical performances. But they don’t exist (which is why I tell them of my many mess-ups during performances).

But it’s a reminder for me as well. Because I can’t achieve perfection. I can be successful, but not perfect. I can try to be the best person I can be through God’s grace, but I can’t be perfect.

And thank goodness God loves me anyway!

Embracing Imperfections

My imperfections serve as a reminder of God’s goodness and my need for reliance on Him. I have a physical scar that reminds me of how God brought me through a slightly scary situation. I have memories of times when I really messed up but God didn’t abandon me. Just as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:10, I’m fine with weakness and imperfections because they make me need God: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

My imperfections allow God to use me. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

My imperfections keep me moving forward. “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:12 ESV)

My imperfections allow God to be perfected through me.

• “but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” (1 John 2:5a ESV)
• “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12 ESV)
• “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” (1 John 4:16-17 ESV)

Social media doesn’t help, right? Everything looks “perfect”, but outward appearances can be false. What’s more important is my heart, despite its imperfections. Like when God sent Samuel to anoint the next king, and Samuel judged based on physical appearance: “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”

Jesus reiterates this when speaking about the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanliness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Track with me here: God looks at my heart. Therefore, He knows the imperfections (sins) of my heart. And He loves me anyway.

So why do I strive for perfection?

Only God is perfect. If I was perfect, I wouldn’t need God.

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Back to the road. . .

Did the imperfection change the function of the road? No. Did the imperfection prevent the road from serving its purpose? No. Did the imperfection take away from the beauty of the road and its surrounding? No.

Neither do my imperfections. In fact, embracing them only makes me embrace God more. . . and I am so thankful.