Good vs. Perfect
How many times have you stopped yourself from doing something because you were afraid it wouldn’t be perfect? I recently helped a friend throw a small birthday party for her two-year-old son. She wanted homemade cupcakes for his party – nothing too fancy. I panicked a little bit when she made this request. I can certainly make a box cake mix or even a cake from scratch, but my skills fall off abruptly in the cake decorating department. I really wanted to just purchase cupcakes because of my severe deficiencies in this category. But I decided to honor her wishes and swallow my pride. I repeated to myself that they would taste great no matter what they looked like.
I set the cupcakes down on the party table and did my best to make them look presentable with the smeared on icing. I put the candles in the cupcake and placed party decor around. More than 20 people came to celebrate the birthday of this sweet two-year-old. The mom and dad were beside themselves, glowing and laughing and going on and on about their gratitude for the modest party. No one complained about the look of the cupcakes. And they were all eaten. Turns out people like cake no matter what it looks like.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
How often do we stop ourselves from doing anything because we are afraid it won’t be perfect? This makes me think of Moses. His fear of not being a good enough public speaker was severe enough that he told God he should find someone else for this job. But God called him anyway, to be a leader and to be a messenger. Moses knew the skills he had weren’t enough but he showed up anyway.
And what did God do? God gave him Aaron.
Exodus 4:10-17 (NIV)
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”
Never once in the scriptures did God ask people to show up perfect. Never once did he ask his people to figure out every detail in advance and make sure nothing ever went wrong. God asked and continues to ask people to show up faithfully with open hands, open hearts, and open minds. He asks us to trust in Him and not our own strength.
Luke 18:27 (NIV)
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Perfectionism is a form of idolatry. You cannot be perfect on your own. Only God is perfect and in fact, in scripture (Mark 10:18) it states that only God is good. You cannot do the miracle on your own, and no one is asking you to.
Show up with your excuses like Moses did but faithfully show up. God will take it from there.
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
