Episode 35: Fighting for Joy against Perfectionism

Perfectionism. What comes to mind when you hear that word? For many people, trying to attain “perfection” here in this broken world leads to despair, extreme frustration, debilitating doubt, never feeling good enough, and constant comparison with others which leads to a deep discontentment that permeates the soul. It can feel almost maddening. Like carrying a weight around that is absolutely crushing. Yet, our culture can tend to glamorize it - think of the Lexus car commercial promoting the “pursuit of perfection”. Sometimes we wonder if our life would be better if we had MORE perfectionist tendencies. And to be honest, many perfectionists DO accomplish a lot…but at what cost?!? That’s the question that my guest today ended up asking herself after years of trying to accept nothing less than “perfection” in her life.

Today I’m joined by Sara Waddel, my cousin and dear friend. On this episode we talk about how harmful and damaging these tendencies can be when they take over. How quickly perfectionism can rob us of peace, freedom, contentment, and JOY. As Sara shares her story, you’ll be encouraged by her fight for joy in the struggle. God has been teaching her a lot and I’m grateful for her willingness to share so openly and honestly. I think you’ll especially be helped by some of the practical things that she implements into her daily life to fight against perfectionism.

There is so much joy to be found when we rest in Christ’s work, not our own…knowing that we are not accepted and loved by God because we do everything “perfectly” and never fail, but because as believers, Christ’s righteousness counts for us! And, we know that the Holy Spirit is producing good fruit in us that delights God. We don’t have to earn his love or our salvation. We don’t have to seek the love and approval of others - or find our value in doing things “better” than those around us. This is freeing and joy-producing!

*The Fighting for Joy Podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling, an online Christian counseling service that pairs you with a professional licensed therapist who will combine Biblical wisdom with their clinical expertise in mental health to help you address your unique situation. As a Fighting for Joy listener, you can receive 10% off at: faithfulcounseling.com/fightingforjoy. Quality counseling is a worthy investment and can be such a powerful tool in the fight for joy!