We sometimes feel like we must be perfect. We find it humiliating to make even the simplest mistakes. We feel like we must carry all the burdens of the world on our own shoulders. We feel like we must fix all the problems in our lives, our family’s lives, and the world.
The pressure has gotten more intense with social media and the internet, which connect us to so many hurts and pains in the world around us. But where do these feelings take us? Usually into a state of being overwhelmed, stressed, and despairing, because we don’t have the power to accomplish being this kind of perfect. When we try to be the perfect one, it only ends in frustration from failure or pride in trying to keep up the false pretense. Neither of these are good.
There is a better way to live. Instead of trying to be perfect, we can rest in the One who is perfect. The Bible tells us that we should cast all our cares and worries onto the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). The Bible tells us to be still and let God fight our battles (Exodus 14:14). The Bible tells us that God’s grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). All this reminds us that we don’t have to carry the burden of being perfect, we can give it to the Lord, because He is truly perfect.
And so let us consider how we can pray about this. How can we deepen our ability to surrender our burdens to the Lord and trust in Him to perfectly handle the situations that make us anxious, acknowledging that we cannot handle it perfectly in our own power?
- Glorify God for His sovereignty. Begin in prayer with a worshipful attitude, giving Him praise for His power and providence. A way to express this would be saying something like Lord, You are all powerful, perfect in all Your ways, and You have control over everything that happens in this world. You have full control over my life. I trust that You work all things out for good. I don’t need to be in control, because You are already in control.
- Ask God to intervene in all the problems you are facing. Invite God to move in the situations you are most concerned about and burdened by. This is essentially what Jesus was teaching us in Matthew 6 when He told us to ask for our daily bread in prayer. Tell God your needs and ask Him for His help. A way to express this would be saying something like Lord, I need help with so many things. My heart is concerned with my family, my finances, my work, and my church. Help in the ways that only You can, deliver and protect in the ways that only You can, provide and protect in the ways that only You can.
- Rest in the presence of God. After praying in these ways, be still. Find a place of calm rest in the presence of God. This will help to solidify your prayer with tangible action. You are resting, still, waiting on the Lord to move. You are showing God the sincerity of your prayer of trust in Him by being calm in His midst.
May God bless us all to know that we don’t have to be perfect, because Christ is perfect. We simply need to be covered by His perfection and rest in His perfection. God’s got this. We need only be still.
Prayer
Lord, You are the Sovereign King; You are in the heavens and do all that You please. You are awesome. You bring the rain, You change the seasons, You hold the world in Your hand. We know we can trust You. Help us in our weakness. Remind us that we don’t have to be perfect, because You are. We can rely on Your perfection. May our hearts be full of faith, love, and hope in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
