Thank God that His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1) because we all fall short in comparison to His holiness. Instead of trying to meet an impossible and stressful standard, take the yoke of Jesus; the Bible tells us His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). Do life with Jesus, walk with Him, let Him lead you and guide you, and walk beside Him hand in hand. Because He is our righteousness. Paul says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). Righteousness does not come from ourselves, so rest in the relief that comes from that.
We need to do the right things and make good choices based on what we learn in the Bible, but we don’t need to constantly beat ourselves up wondering if we are doing the right thing, if we are good enough, or if we are making God happy. Am I doing what God wants me to do? These questions are like going back to your old life of burdens and chains. Jesus paid a high price to free you from that. He paid with His life so we don’t need to live under the yoke of slavery. We don’t need to live under that pressure and torment.
We do need to make sure we are aligned with what God wants for our lives, but not in a way that it becomes burdensome. Not second-guessing everything we do. There’s no freedom in that, and that is not from God. That’s either the enemy or trauma being reproduced by the flesh.
The more we learn about God, the more we can discern these evil spirits that try to take over our lives and minds. We are always going to be in a battle with the flesh and the enemy, and he/it will come in many guises. Perfectionism might be hard to spot in your life, as it may come as a perceived righteousness—a desire to do the right thing—but if you are doing any of the following while trying to follow and seek God, it might be an indicator of the spirit of perfectionism:
Are you constantly worried that you’re doing the right thing?
Do you feel guilt and shame that you might not be doing the right thing?
Do you make plans and then get bombarded with doubts?
Do you get upset when you fail and feel uncontrollable guilt, like you’ve messed everything up forever?
These are all indicators of the spirit of perfectionism trying to take hold of your life and the freedom you receive through Christ Jesus.
But the more we learn about Jesus, the more we can fight against the spiritual forces that are out to steal our freedom. The more we can discern the strongholds over our lives, the more free we can be with Christ.
God is merciful, and His mercy endures forever. He knows we are not perfect. He knows everything about us. So don’t let doubt, shame, or guilt overtake you. Rest in God's mercy.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy that endures forever. Thank You for sending Jesus to set us free from the burdens of perfectionism, guilt, and shame. Help us to walk in the freedom You’ve given us. Teach us to rest in Your love, trusting that You are with us every step of the way. We surrender our need to be perfect and ask for Your peace to fill our hearts. Help us to seek You not from fear or anxiety but from love and trust. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 136:
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 To him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 Who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 Who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 Who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 The sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 The moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 And brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever.
13 To him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
14 And brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
16 To him who led his people through the wilderness
His love endures forever.
17 To him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 And killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 And Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 And gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 An inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 And freed us from our enemies
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
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