Let’s admit something: because of sin much is perfectly counterproductive. These things don’t leave us at zero, coasting along. These tendencies and activities repeatedly—and purposefully—downgrade, debase, and tear us down bit by bit. Sin not only twists: it seeks destruction. But you and me, we can call things what they are.
It is one thing if someone—or something good—is keeping us from writing. Your kids need you? You’re busy at work? You just need to hit the hay early? Great! Don’t worry about it! Writing will be there for you later!
But if you’re beating yourself over the head because by now you think you should be someone else . . . it’s perfectly counterproductive. If you think you need perfection immediately, that may be the only “perfection” available to you: a perpetual downfall of self-criticism.
Instead, there is Jesus, humanity, creation, effort, redemption, and forgiveness. Bigger things than struggling with a paragraph or chapter. External perfection coming through the Spirit and the Word. Struggle that our Lord can make blessed struggle with a blessed end.
If something is standing in your way, I’m not someone to say you have to climb every mountain you come across. But let’s think things through. Let’s not undermine ourselves when the world is already thoroughly and explicitly hard enough.
A post for you today:
http://postmodernjukebox.com/post/don-t-be-a-perfectionist-or-else/
Artists have a habit of being their own worst enemies. At some point in the creation process, an artist will naturally ask themselves, “Is it good enough?” This can be a pretty dangerous question. It’s important to value quality of work, but there’s a fine line between quality control and trying to live up to some idealized image of yourself. Over the years, I’ve known some tremendous talents that have missed numerous opportunities due a to fear of doing something that didn’t match the vision of themselves that they had in their head. I’ve felt this fear myself, and I’m extremely thankful that I’ve found a way to force myself to ignore it.
