Perfectionism Isn’t the Point

We long for everything to be perfect— in our lives and our art. But this side of heaven, things won’t be perfect. And that’s okay.

Nothing we do or create will ever be perfect. Because, well, we’re not perfect.

It’s obvious yet hard for us to come to terms with that. When we blow it, we state (as if revealing an unknown aspect of ourselves), “I’m not perfect, you know.” Um, yes, we did know that.

We are all imperfect humans creating imperfect art. The beauty of it is that, if we’re creating with God, our words and images and ideas are pointing to the God of perfect love.

This isn’t to say we should embrace our imperfections. Let’s seek God’s healing in our broken places. Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted and set us free. (Isaiah 61:1) And as we become more healed and free, our art will follow. But perfectionism isn’t the goal. If we hold that standard for our creativity, we’ll remain stuck in endless revisions and diminishment.

Exchange the illusion of perfectionism for the intimacy of God’s presence. Invite him into the messiness of the creative process, knowing he will overcome the chaos within and around you. As he does, make peace with the beautifully imperfect ways your art reflects God and his goodness.

This reading was crafted to encourage your pursuit of story and creativity with God. Your donation makes this crowd-funded initiative possible. You can support it via PAYPAL or by check (Allen Arnold at PO Box 62841, Colorado Springs, CO 80962).

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