Grace > Perfection

Confession time:

I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to certain areas of life. I have a creative brain, so anything that represents me out in the public eye has to be revised and presented in the best way possible. I love being behind a camera but generally feel super awkward and uncomfortable in front of one. I don’t like to be seen without at least a little makeup on and replay mistakes I make over and over in my head, wishing I could go back in time and have a do-over.

Can somebody relate?!

The funny thing is, I apply these tough standards to myself but see others through a different lens. I am my own worst critic but have plenty of grace & encouragement to give. I’ve asked myself why I do this, and I really don’t have a great answer.

Thankfully, God never said we have to be perfect. He said ‘My grace is sufficient.’ He is strong in our weakness and shines through our insecurities. Isn’t that comforting? God still loves me even when I am a hot mess, have a bad day, hit a wrong note, say something I regret, or prove in a million other ways that I do not, in fact, have it all together!

I think He occasionally uses those moments to remind me that I need Him, and that people aren’t looking for perfect, they’re looking for REAL. A friend picked up her daughter from a play date at my (quite messy) house one day, and commented, “What a relief - your house looks like mine!” That has always stuck with me. She didn’t judge me for not having an immaculate home,  she actually felt more at ease knowing that I was okay with her seeing “behind the curtain” into my real life.

Friends, we need more of this. We need to learn to extend God’s unconditional grace to ourselves and others. The most attractive people are the ones whose confidence and worth are found in Jesus, who can laugh and learn from their mistakes while giving others permission to do the same. He is the only person who successfully lived a perfect life, and that means we’re off the hook! Choose today to embrace God’s amazing grace and let go of impossible standards you were never meant to uphold. 

Check out our Grace > Perfection shirt design here: