I was helping to prep for VBS crafts this past spring, and I was distressed because I could not cut the tractor wheels in perfectly round units – even though I had a good templet to draw them. There were still little points and flat spots on each one, and when I tried to round them out, I made them too small.
I mentioned this to my co-worker, “Maybe you should get someone more talented to cut the circles, because I cannot make them perfect.”
She responded:
“Kathy, no one is going to judge you for how round you cut out the tractor wheels.”
I was taken back by her comment, and I wondered if maybe I had another “blind spot” in my walk of which I was not aware (Psalm 19:12-13). I was glad she said that to me, because I spent quite a bit of time consulting the Sanctifier of my Soul about this issue that day and the next.
After a while the Holy Spirit said to me, “Excuse me, but you are a Pastor’s wife. You are used to being judged about a variety of issues, and I already taught you the way to change your focus about these subjects. Actually, you were distressed for another reason.”
As I continued to pray, the Sanctifier asked, “What was your real reason for being concerned?” In response, I started to cry, and I confessed, “Because I didn’t want the little children to be disappointed because their wheels were not perfectly round.”
When I mentioned this to my co-worker, she responded, “I honestly think that they are too young to even notice.” Then I consulted another of my co-workers about this, and she pointed out, “The wheels on the trucks on our stage props are not perfectly round either. We are human, not machines.”
This solved the problem for me. I breathed a sigh of relief, because I felt that I would not disappoint those little ones after all. Then I finished cutting out 25 more sets of four wheels, praising God that I was able to help prep the crafts for our children’s program.
Prayer:
Father God, You already taught me that “perfectionism” is a demonic ploy to keep us stressed, and unsatisfied with our efforts, as well as the efforts of those around us. I repented of this sin years ago; and now, I make every effort to accept others and myself just the way we are with all the roots of our idiosyncrasies and personal peculiarities exposed. I am so much more relaxed since You started to set me free from this demonic trait.
I am so grateful to You for Your Holy Spirit’s work in our soul. It feels so good to see the sanctifying work that You accomplish in us. We are not the person that we used to be, and we rejoice that we are not the person that we will be, as You continue to perfect us into the image of Your dear begotten Son, Jesus. We look forward to serving with Jesus, as co-heirs of Your Kingdom, and to spending eternity with Your Saints.
Thought for the Day:
We are often blind-sided by our errors and faults that we do not see; they cause us to commit presumptuous sins, which often secretly control our life; however, God’s Spirit brings them to light, heals us, and makes us innocent of these sneaky transgressions, as He prevents them from having future dominion over us.
- Psalm 19:12-13
