How do I overcome my perfectionistic tendencies?

How do I stop being a perfectionist?

Some time ago, I read a story about a farmer who approached a driver whose car was stuck in a mud hole:

“For 50 bucks, I’ll pull you out of there.” the farmer offered. The driver agreed and after the farmer had pulled him out and pocketed the money, he said, “You know, yours is the tenth car I’ve rescued today.”

“Wow,” the driver said, “when do you have time to work your land? At night?”

“No,” the farmer replied, “Night is when I fill the hole with water!”

I love that. The farmer was setting a pitfall. Literally speaking, a pitfall is a hole or pit deceitfully covered to entrap wild beasts or men; a trap of any kind. Figuratively, a pitfall can be any unforeseen or unexpected difficulty. Life is filled with pitfalls. A temptation is a pitfall. An error in judgment can be a pitfall. A bad choice can become a pitfall. Some pitfalls are dug by others, some dug by ourselves.

These pitfalls bring pain to ourselves, in the relationships we share with others, in our walk with God, who wants us to enjoy freedom he offers from being entrapped by these pitfalls.

You know the kinds of pitfalls I am talking about, because you struggle with some of them too: Pitfalls of perfectionism, demanding that everyone like you, requiring control of situations and people, indulging in a lifestyle of self-pity, processing life to a mathematical equation, feeling that nothing will ever go right, feeling helpless, blaming others, obsessing about things you should give to God and avoiding problems through irresponsibility.

Throughout my life, I have found myself falling into pitfalls over and over again. And I have learned how the Bible addresses a number of them.

In this podcast we address the first pitfall: Perfectionism.

My notes are available upon request by emailing me here:

~Steve

Real Men (and everyone else) Worship

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote truth when he penned the words:

“A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”

Worship is for everyone because everyone worships.

This sermon speaks to us concerning proper worship.

Real Men Worship Powerpoint

Real Men Are Role Models…

Presented February 21, 2010

Think of the men you respect the most. The women you respect.

Most likely, something they have in common is a life worth imitating. They are role models.

This podcast gives some practical counsel on how to be a role model.