Genesis 17:1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”
Lord, you know how imperfect I am! Why would you command me to be perfect? Aren’t you setting me up to fail?
“I command thee to be perfect. There is nothing wrong with working toward that goal. There are two hazards along the path to be aware of:
First, that, unable to achieve perfection in some area you might become paralyzed and unable to act at all.
Second, that, falling short of perfection, you will be vulnerable to Satan’s malicious whispers, planting doubt about your divinity and your eternal potential.
Avoid paralysis and turn away from Satan and your quest for perfection will lead you to me.”
- Have you ever found yourself paralyzed by fear of failure and unable to act?
- Have you ever thought that you would never be good enough?
- Write about how the ideas in this post affect your thinking about your own experiences with being imperfect.
- What will you do today to avoid or overcome the two hazards mentioned?
Please share your thoughts about this post by commenting below.
Related posts: Overcoming Perfectionism: the “Good Enough” Principle, One Day At A Time Management, Lack of Self-Discipline or Perfectionism?
[Note: For more information on the difference between becoming perfect and perfectionism see the talks listed on my Resources page under “Perfectionism”.]
Isn’t this so true about perfection! Thank you for sharing this Mira. We really are working towards that goal and I believe with all my heart that Heavenly Father is blessing us as we grow and learn. I can be perfect in some things. Things like paying my tithing, or treating someone else kindly. They aren’t a big challenge right now. I don’t know the future, but for now I can do those things pretty close to perfect. I am learning and using repentance and the atonement to help me with others. Each time I pick myself up, after making a mistake, repent and keep trying I get better than the last time.
You are welcome. You are so right about our ability to become perfect in one area at a time and about the process of trying –>making mistakes –>repentance –>growth. Thanks for your comment, Jessica.