Only God is Perfect
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
Only God is perfect. I continually remind myself of this truism. My foibles are always before me, and I know perfection is far beyond my grasp. Yet, I am regularly stressed out because I feel like I am letting someone down or coming across as a failure, which stresses me. Rationally, I know my limitations, but subconsciously I cannot help but stress myself out trying to cover up my shortcomings. Worse, I know I am not the only one who suffers from this malady.
A trusted writer, Darius Foroux, helped me with my perfectionist struggle in his article, “The More Perfect You Are, the More Insecure You Become.” Foroux describes the century-old work of Russian biologist Ivan Schmalhausen, who recognized the Stabilizing Selection Theory. Schmalhausen gives the example of childbirth. Low-weight newborns are more accessible for the mother to deliver, but low-birth-weight babies have more difficulty thriving. Likewise, high birth weight babies are more challenging for the mother to deliver but tend to have fewer issues after birth. What Stabilizing Selection Theory articulates is that often, “Becoming perfect tends to backfire, so species rarely evolve to become perfect at anything.”
Further, there is an actual benefit to imperfection. As Foroux continues, “These imperfections are what allow us all to survive and thrive.” If there were a group of perfect humans, they would thrive while the rest of humanity would languish and ultimately disappear. Since all humans are imperfect, we learn to lean into our strengths and learn from our imperfections. Imperfections allow all of society to need and nurture one another. The closest we humans can get to perfection is adaptability. We will never be perfect, but if we can adapt to our imperfect situations with our imperfect skills, life can be meaningful and blessed.
Today, take the focus away from trying to be perfect and, instead, think about how you can become more resilient and adaptable. Name your strengths and admit your weaknesses. How do your friends and family’s strengths and weaknesses blend and fit with your qualities? Who around you push your buttons, making you feel weak or a failure? Why? Asking these questions helps you define who you are and how you can better relate to and support those you love. Remember, God created you for a purpose. Your purpose wasn’t perfection. It was to blend your strengths and weaknesses with the strengths and weaknesses of others. Alone, we will remain weak and vulnerable, but in a community of faith and care, we can all work together to make a lasting difference with less stress.