Excellence, Not Perfection

"Perfection never exists apart from imperfection, just as good health cannot exist without our feeling effort, fatigue, hunger or thirst, heat or cold; yet none of these prevent the enjoyment of good health."
            Henri de Tourville

I feel like I've come a long way in the "try out perfection" area. I remember when I first stared blogging on here I would say things like "I need to realize that things are going to go as planned" and "I need to trust God about things" and the hardest one, "change is good".

I feel an inner peace about my life and it feels really great!

Today's devotion was titled "Pursuing Perfection" and the topic, "Frustration". *LOL* Normally I would read this and think to myself, "Oh my, here's one I really need to read" or "I think God needs me to see this today". However, today I just read it like any other devotional topic and took what I could from it and realized that I'd grown - I have come a long way!

I've always heard about the feeling of God living inside you. I've always felt and thought that I had God living inside of me. Growing up in a Seventh Day Adventist, Christian home and family I was brought up surrounded by Jesus' love! I was always in love with Jesus but really began to pursue my own relationship with him as I grew older. I had heard the stories of other's saying that "there was a hole in their heart" or "an empty space that needed to be filled". These never occurred to me since I had really always had that empty space filled.

Well, looking back now, I can see that there was somewhat of a hole. It was that space where I couldn't quite fill on my own because I fall short of perfection. The saying, "Do your best and let God do the rest", well I was doing, trying, attempting, and failing at my best but was never really trusting God enough to do the rest. Now that I have let Him completely in, I trust Him with all my heart, I can say that my heart is completely full! He has filled up the spaces and I feel content, at peace, happy!

Will Do

1. Do your best and let God do the rest!
2. Be thankful for life as it is rather than as you wish it could be
3. Be thankful for the blessings in your life
4. Not judge a gift by the package it comes in
5. Be appreciative of the small things in life
6. Relax and be easier on yourself and others
7. Redefine your definition of perfection to include the beauties of imperfection

To Do

1. Post a copy of 2 Corinthians 12:9 over your mirror
2. Start a craft or art project that can teach you about the process of creativity 
3. Write in your journal about perfection
4. Watch a baby learning to walk
5. Go to an antique shop and think about the families that have used the heirlooms and why that makes them beautiful, even with worn spots and broken edges. 

Bible Verses to Remember

1. Philippians 3:12
2. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29
3. 2 Corinthians 4:7
4. 2 Corinthians 12:9
5. James 1:4
6. Psalm 138:8

"Demand perfection of yourself and you'll seldom attain it. Fear of making a mistake is the single biggest cause of making one. Relax - pursue excellence, not perfection."

            Bud Winter