I know many who struggle with perfectionism. Around the Church I hear many who struggle with this issue: “I am just not good enough.” “I fall so far short.” “I will never measure up.” I hear this from teenagers. I hear it from missionaries. I hear it from new converts. I hear it from lifelong members.
As children of God, we should not demean or vilify ourselves, as if beating up on ourselves is somehow going to make us the person God wants us to become.
With a willingness to repent and a desire for increased righteousness always in our hearts, I would hope we could pursue personal improvement in a way that doesn’t include excessive guilt trips or demolishing our self-esteem.
I believe that Jesus intended the commandment “be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father … in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) to be a tribute to who and what God the Eternal Father is and what we can achieve with Him in eternity, not a harsh verbal reminder of our shortcomings.
Except for Jesus, there have been no flawless performances on this earthly journey we are pursuing, so while in mortality let’s strive for steady improvement without obsessing about being perfect.
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