Perfectionism is a sin.

There. I said it.

I have come to this conclusion over a long period of time.

Years ago I made a very sweet lady on a homeschooling list very angry because I said that it did not make any sense to strive for perfection in everything we do. There is such a thing as "good enough." I really have come to that conclusion in my keeping house. With four kids and at least as many animals as people, I sometimes have to settle for "clean enough." If I strove for perfection in my housekeeping, I would have time for nothing else, not to mention that I would be miserable to live with. After all, then I would have no time to blog.

Back to the sin issue. I think perfectionism leads most of us to sin. What happens when we think we have reached perfection? We start expecting it of everyone else, of course! We become judgemental, critical, and naggy, which is quite hard on relationships.

I know someone who is a perfectionist. His wife is not. He cannot understand why she won't at least try to be perfect at *something*! He criticizes and nags; she hides things from him to keep him from knowing when she has messed up. How sad that he spends his time looking for things to criticize and she works so hard to cover up her failings.

Thank goodness we have the God we have. He loves us even when are not perfect! He overlooks our faults and delights in us as his children. Think about what it is like to be with someone who loves you just as you are and even delights in your little quirks and faults! How peaceful to be with someone who looks beyond our momentary (or even chronic) failure and knows that our heart is in the right place and we really do mean well. That is our God. We can run to Him just like a child can run to a loving parent who sees the good beyond the grass-stained knees and dirty face.

Swear off perfectionism - love those around you even if they don't fit your perfect ideal. God does not look for every little fault to correct, why should we think we can be so arrogant to do so?

---Katie