Are you an organized person? Are your DVD’s in alphabetical order? Are the clothes in your closet color coordinated in the different seasons? Are your house and car spotless? Is your desk free of clutter? Or do you seek all these things yet feel like a failure because you don’t measure up to your personal bar of perfection?

Order on the outside flows from a desire on the inside to seek perfection. In fact the perfectionist’s favorite Scripture reads: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). However, when we examine the context of this verse and look at its parallel passage in Luke, we discover something quite different: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Jesus was not teaching that we should be flawless; rather, He was communicating that we should be complete in our love for others, including our enemies.

Wow! That changes everything! Doesn’t it?

If you are a perfectionist, try replacing perfection with love. Place a greater value on people than tasks. Join me on the journey of becoming a recovering perfectionist on Restoration Road. We can grow together.

Episode 125: From Perfection to Excellence with Alyssa Toupin from mitchkrusetv on Vimeo.

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