Okay, please tell me I’m not alone. Am I the only women’s ministry leader who does this? Or do you also struggle with perfectionism?
I can say I was raised by a perfectionist dad and I take after him. Or I can say I’m a visionary… one who is never satisfied and always looking for a way to do it better. Or I can say, I HATE making mistakes.
No matter what I call it, as a leader, I sometimes JUST make mistakes. I want to model strong work ethics and integrity, but does that equal perfection? There is only one who was perfect and it’s not me.
I am so grateful for Christ’s perfection and that He modeled for us what that looks like. But until we reach heaven we will not be fully perfect “like him” (1 John 3:2). In the mean time we are still growing and learning, often learning more from mistakes than getting it right!
So what do we do in the mean time?
Here’s what I suggest (and I want to be better at doing!):
- Understand we will make mistakes, no matter how hard we try to keep everything together.
- Ask why it happened, BUT don’t spend more time trying to figure out WHY than it takes to just get it done correctly!
- Pray for God to clarify what you need to do daily and ask Him to bring to mind the most critical issues for that day.
- Keep in mind that relationships trump tasks!
- Ask what you can learn from the mistake to help you in the future.
- Get help if you need it to accomplish the task.
- Pray for God to continue to show you grace and give yourself grace as you navigate life, relationships, and ministry.
- Thank God for the opportunities He gives us to serve Him!
How do you handle mistakes?
