Just by reading the title of this post, I would assume you think I'm crazy. Don't worry, I've never met a perfect person either.
There are times in life when we have all felt below-average. We felt like we weren't pretty enough, didn't have all the latest fashion, and couldn't do all the things that someone else could do. We look to social media (like Pinterest or Instagram), and we are suddenly bombarded by images of smiling, happy people who just look so perfect! Then there are those recipes with a picture of a dish that looks too good to eat. How is this even possible?! Each time I look at photos like this-the perfect family photos where all the adults and kids are lined up holding hands (every person smiling, even the kids)-it makes me smile. I know there are probably times when you can snap that "perfect" photo, and that's awesome. However, I often have those expectation vs. reality moments. Come on, I know I'm not the only person who has ever had one of those. Let's be honest. If you have ever seen the memes with expectation vs. reality, I would say at least 75% of us (probably more, if you're totally honest) would fall into the reality category. We often place such high expectations on ourselves that are unrealistic. This applies to trying to have the perfect family, job, or life in general.
You can pretend to be perfect all you want, but I'm skeptical that you could live up to what you profess to be. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the truth is, there is no perfect person. We were created with the knowledge that we would sin. I am not telling you to "sin a little every day." I'm also not saying that you need to be completely vulnerable and publicly confess how you messed up yesterday. There is a fine line between recognizing you are not perfect and beating yourself up about it. If you are anything like me, you probably do the latter. You look at everyone else around you, and you try to measure up to the expectation. Then you become frustrated when reality sinks in. Please do yourself a favor: don't expect perfection. You're going to mess-up. You're going to have bad days. Sometimes you're going to just sit down and cry your eyes out over nothing and everything simultaneously.
There will be days when you try so hard to take that perfect selfie to post on Instagram, and no matter how many times you take it, you still feel ugly. There will be days when you try on multiple outfits, and none of them seem to look right, or you just have a bad hair day. There will be moments when you put so much time and effort into planning a lesson, and you feel like you didn't do it justice. There will be days when you find a Pinterest recipe, and after trying to match the picture, it looks and tastes nothing like what you imagined. There will be moments when all your expectations come crashing down, and the pressure of expectation finally gives way to reality...YOU.ARE.NOT.PERFECT...and that is ok!
You don't have anything to prove. You don't have to pretend to be the best at everything or always "dress to impress." You don't have to have the perfect family, perfect job, perfect house, or perfect car. Your food doesn't have to look like Gordon Ramsey made it. You don't have to find the closest-to-perfection-photo to post on social media. Your name doesn't need to be in the paper or on a billboard. The perfect person does not exist. Jesus was made perfect in our weakness, and it is only by His strength that we can do what we do every single day. If there's one thing I am learning, it is that I will never be perfect. I always want things to be a certain way, and if doesn't go how I want, I feel like a failure. If you have ever felt that way, you start to put yourself down. You beat yourself up about your mistakes, and feel like you'll never measure up to your own expectations. It's even harder to meet the expectations you feel that others have placed on you, even though they don't say it. Just remember, there is no such thing as a perfect person. Don't try to do it all on your own, relying on your own strength. Don't make yourself out to be a failure.
You are more than you believe. Jesus is telling you to look up to Him. No, you're not perfect, but you are loved by a perfect God. It's high time you learned to see yourself through His eyes. When you feel unworthy, invaluable, and pressured into expectation, know that He thought you were worth it all, and gave His life for you. The only perfect person who ever lived was Jesus Christ. Stop trying to place expectations on yourself based on what you think others want to see. You don't follow people. You follow God. Let your expectations and your perfect persona fall. Come to God, acknowledging reality, and ask Him to show you how He sees you. Until you see yourself through His eyes, you will keep trying to live for the expectation. Why don't you try to live in the reality that Jesus loves you, and you are living for Him alone? It may change your life.
Britt Nicole-"Through Your Eyes"