Thank you to my sweet co-leader, Bethany Grove, for writing today’s post!

My quest for perfection feels like a never-ending journey.

I started traveling a long time ago but it’s still not something I’ve been able to break free from – yet.

While I was in college, my roommate and I laughed about my uncanny ability to be able to tell if something of mine was ever moved. The sad part? There was a lot of truth behind our giggles. In an instant, I would have noticed something amiss.

The quest for perfection didn’t stop there either.

Becoming a mother hasn’t changed my longing for a perfect life – even though one would think it would. Instead, my desire for perfection has intensified. I endlessly search for the secret to being Super Mom and Super Wife.

Bethany's perfection quote

However, the fact remains . . . the chance for a perfect life fades away as the piles of laundry grow, toys remain strung about, and to-do lists increases.

I longed for control. In 1975, Stepford Wives was a popular movie in which women were programmed to be “perfect and in control.” Sometimes, I feel like I need to be one of those Stepford Wives.

When I don’t get my Stepford life, I have trouble controlling my emotions. For example,while planning my child’s first birthday party, everything fell into place but on the day of the actual party, everything seemed to plummet. If it all was going to go wrong that day, it did.

The result? At the end of the day, I could be found crying in the bathroom.

My desperate need for perfection led to lack of emotional control. I let my emotions and insecurities boss me around. Was it the end of the world that the birthday party was horrible? No. Would my child even remember this day? No. Was my heart hurting? Yes!

“Our emotions display our hearts—our beautiful, broken, blessed, glorious hearts.” – Holley Gerth

This week in our study of You’re Already Amazing, we are working towards understanding why we have trouble believing we are amazing and addressing the emotions that arise when we fall short of perfection.

There are five lies women tend to believe and when those lies take root in our hearts, our emotions go awry.

As long as we don’t allow those emotions to control us and understand that God wants us to feel the complete range, we are fine. The problem ensues when our emotions become our boss.  Holley states, “Emotions make great messengers but bad bosses.” She later says, “Your emotions have nothing to do with reality right now.” In other words, our emotions are not tied to the circumstances of that moment.

How many times do I “blow things out of proportion?” I know there are plenty of times when I have done this but it serves no purpose. During those times of temporary insanity (yes, I claim that!), I have lost track of my true identity.

I am His daughter. Made perfect through His son, Jesus (Hebrews 10:14), and so are you.

Embrace who you are and don’t let your emotions tell you any different. You are His – not theirs.

 For our discussion this week, please answer at least one of the following in the comment section:

1) Are you dominated more by your head or heart? Look back to the descriptions about both and write a few phrases that sound most like you.

 2) Look a the list of emotions in this chapter. Which ones are you most comfortable expressing? Which ones are you least comfortable expressing?

 3) Read the story of Joshua and Caleb in Numbers 14:1-9. They chose faith over feelings and were the only ones to see the Promised Land. What’s one thing they did that you can apply to your life?

 4) Was there anything else, from our reading this week, that God showed you?

 

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