Perfectionism – just a kansas boy

Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves.
– Watchman Nee (Ni Tuosheng)

Having grown up in the church, I’ve been familiar most of my life with the concept of “resting in God.” One of my favorite passages is Psalm 46, which includes the words “Be still, and know that I am God.” Recently, however, I’ve been struck by just how many Christians (including myself) live lives that really don’t look much different than anyone else. In this case, I’m not referring to the things we normally suspect (such as entertainment choices), but rather the very essence of our lives. Few of us have the kind of joy, peace, and assurance experienced by some of the Biblical saints or very rare people you might know personally.

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Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill

Most of us have heard the saying, “Failure is NOT an option.” It seems to fit well with some kind of spy story, where the character is warned of the dire consequences of not completing their mission. The saying has seeped into our popular culture, and for many it becomes a kind of mantra or goal.

This sounds like a worthy goal on the surface, and there are some cases where it’s true (high-stakes things like space missions or cloak-and-dagger spy work come to mind). There’s a problem though, particularly for those of us that tend to be more perfectionist. For many perfectionists, failure can tend to mean, “Anything that doesn’t live up to my (often impossibly high) standards.”

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Tag: Perfectionism

Resting

What if Failure IS an Option?