The upcoming holiday season can often be stressful. Not new information, I know! But how much of this stress is driven by our need for perfection?
To be the perfect hostess with the perfectly decorated home.
The perfect guest with the perfect conversational skills.
The perfect friend with the perfect gift.
The perfect cook with the perfect feast.
The perfect mother with the perfectly behaved kids.
The perfect daughter-in-law with perfect fertility.
Why do we desire perfection? For me, it is a need for approval and validation. It is such a rush to hear, “Wow, you are/this looks amazing!” I look for other people to determine my value based on my actions instead of focusing on the truth: my worth is found in Christ alone.
Who or what is your holiday trigger? Is it a pregnant sister-in-law? A nit-picky MIL? An ex-spouse? Guests coming into your home? People you don’t know at a seasonal function?
As we approach Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, I will be praying the following verses for myself and all of you:
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense.
God does not require perfection so do not burden yourself with it, either. I hope we all take time this holiday season to focus on things that truly matter:
And our relationships, both with Christ and each other.
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ReplyDeleteHi from ICLW!
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand the rush that comes from compliments. As much as I say, "it was nothing", I think I would be hurt if someone didn't notice my clean house, perfect gift or perfect dinner. I do find that I am better at this than I used to be, which was sacrificing sleep and sanity (both mine and hubby's) to make things "perfect".
Thanks for your great post (and for stopping by my blog!), I'll keep the Colossians verse in mind, especially about being even-tempered.
Amy :)
http://hormonaleggbasket.blogspot.com/
thanks so much... such a great post and verse. it's funny how we dorget what thanksgiving/holidays should really be about and somehow make it about or insecurities. i needed that today.
ReplyDeletexoxo
iclw