The Journey Day 35: Perfectionism is not Perfect

Hello everyone. My name is LaQuetta and I am a recovering ❤️‍🩹 perfectionist. I have learned there is a difference between perfectionism and excellence. Perfectionism says I have to be on guard to ensure I do not make any mistakes. Excellence is ensuring things are reviewed, but if a mistake is made, then it is changed as appropriate. I had an unhealthy, driving need to look good in front of everyone.

Example: it used to take something out of me to see mistakes in anything I have written. I have recalled emails several times, deleted social media posts a zillion times to correct a comma, or something ridiculous. Until I got fully delivered, perfectionism is rooted in pride, not the kind of pride one should take to produce excellent work, but the kind of pride that is haughty. This is the kind of pride that says, “I am so great; I never make mistakes!” It is an issue of being overly concerned with what I look like to others — the fear of man.

The truth is, we are all human beings. We will make mistakes and will never be perfect. I could not continue down the road of being perfect because I lost out on receiving real love and acceptance based on who I was. My true identity could not emerge until I received deliverance from trying to reach the unobtainable goal of being perfect. I did not understand my perfectionism blocked me from walking in true freedom in Christ. It stopped me from the beauty of God’s original design for me as well as my rebirth in Jesus Christ.