Tag: perfectionism

Posted in Moments and Musings

Fresh Mercy, Full Hearts

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Bishop’s Wife. There’s a scene—my mom’s favorite—where Cary Grant’s character, Dudley, counsels Professor Wutheridge (played by Monty Woolley). They’re sharing a bottle of wine, and every time Wutheridge goes to refill their glasses, he finds Dudley’s already full. In the background, we see Dudley discreetly lift his finger, using his angel abilities to refill not only the glasses but the bottle too.

I thought about that scene this morning during my walk with Percy. I was saying my usual “good mornings” to God. (I don’t have super wordy prayers anymore unless I feel led by the Spirit. Mostly, I just talk to Him throughout the day—simple, honest, real.) I was appreciating the beauty of a brand new morning when suddenly a quote from Anne of Green Gables drifted into my mind:

“Tomorrow is fresh, with no mistakes in it.”
—Lucy Maud Montgomery

And right there, on that quiet walk, I felt a rush of relief and peace. If you’re a Failed Perfectionist like I am, you know exactly why that line hits so deeply. There’s something comforting about knowing you get a whole new set of chances each day. Most nights, perfectionists fall asleep trying to outrun the list of everything we didn’t get right. So waking up to a clean slate feels like someone lovingly wiped down the whiteboard of our minds.

Then another reminder came, this time from Scripture—Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV):

“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”

God’s mercy is new every morning. Fresh. Abundant. Undeserved. Prepared ahead of time. Never failing.

For someone like me—someone who is chronically hard on herself—that truth needed to sit with me for a while. And as it did, the Holy Spirit brought that scene from The Bishop’s Wife back to mind. Just like Dudley kept refilling the professor’s glass over and over, God continually replenishes us with mercy, grace, favor, and love. Every time we draw from His supply, He instantly refills. And unlike Dudley, He doesn’t even wait for morning to do it.

I know this might sound simple to some, but God knows how He made me. He knows my process-driven brain. He knows I’m a visual learner. He knows if I don’t understand something fully, I’ll get frustrated—and then I’ll quit. So He gives me examples I can see, feel, and picture. He meets me exactly where I am.

He knows us perfectionists so well.

So as you head into your weekend—and as you wake up tomorrow morning—remember this: there is brand new, shiny, untouched mercy waiting for you. More than enough mercy. It never runs out. It never grows stale. You will never reach the bottom of the glass or the bottle.

Because He is a God of more than enough.

Photo by Olga Kovalski on Unsplash
Posted in Moments and Musings

Stop Trying to Be Perfect—God’s Making Something New in You

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

The Old Is Gone, the New Is Here
 2 Corinthians 5:17

Ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you’re still not enough? Not smart enough, not good enough, not even close to where you think you should be? You’re not alone. And here’s the best news: God is in the process of making all things new—even you—right now.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Can I be honest? For a long time, I thought this verse only applied to new Christians. I’d read it and think, “Well, that’s great… but I’ve been born again for a while now, so… this doesn’t really apply to me.”

But recently, as I was looking for verses about starting a new season, this one popped up. I almost swiped past it—again—when the Spirit whispered, “Wait! This IS for you. I’m doing something new in you right now. And five minutes from now, I’ll still be doing something new. And tomorrow, I’ll still be doing something new.”

Isn’t that the BEST news ever?

Lately, it feels like every flaw, every insecurity in me is highlighted, underlined, and bolded in my brain. There’s a cruel voice that circles endlessly, saying:

  • You’re not good enough.
  • You’re too old.
  • You’re too dumb.
  • You’re a failure.

And just when I start to feel the weight of it all, another voice joins in with condemnation: “And what’s worse, you know better. You don’t pray enough. You don’t read the Word enough. God isn’t using you… and maybe He can’t.”

If you listen long enough, these voices drown out the encouragement spoken over you every day by people who love you and see the truth.

It’s no secret that the devil lies. He wants you to feel isolated, depressed, and unworthy. He thrives on comparison. But here’s the good news: it’s also no secret that God has overcome evil. He sees when you feel low, unloved, and worthless. He is a present help in times of need, and He uses His people to remind you who you are in Him.

I’ve spent a lifetime trying—and failing—to be perfect. (Imagine that!) Very recently, during a walk with my dog, God whispered to me: Stop being so hard on yourself. I already died for you. I already approve of you. I already love you, and nothing can stop that. I’m not done with you. And until Jesus returns, I never will be. All you need to do is accept and receive.

Easier said than done some days—but, like billions of others, I’m a work in progress.

So why write this blog? And why does this verse suddenly hit differently?

Because Jesus. Plain and simple.

The old is gone, and the new is here because of Him. I used to read this verse as a linear, “one-and-done” promise: You’re born again—BOOM—you’re new. End scene. Read your Bible. Pray. Repeat. But it’s not a single event; it’s an ongoing process.

Revelation 21:5 says, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

  • Behold means to observe something remarkable.
  • Making is an action word—something God is actively doing.

God is always in the process of removing the old and bringing in the new. And thankfully, He’s not a one-size-fits-all God. He knows our struggles, our weaknesses, our perfectionism, and He meets us right where we are.

So why this verse matters:

  • The old things are gone. They don’t define you anymore.
  • The new is here. Jesus is making things new in your life—right now, in this moment.
  • It’s a process, happening over and over again. Daily. Moment by moment.

Jesus is the new. He’s here. Now. And He is enough.

You don’t have to earn God’s love, fix yourself, or be perfect. The process is already happening. The old is gone. The new is here. And it’s all because of Jesus. All you need to do is accept it—and let Him keep making you new.

Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash
Posted in Moments and Musings

Refilling The Glass

Posted on by Vikki Lynn Sorensen

One of my favorite Christmas movies is The Bishop’s Wife. There’s a scene – my mom’s favorite – where Cary Grant’s character, Dudley, counsels Professor Wutheridge (played by Monty Woolley). They’re drinking wine and Wutheridge goes to refill Dudley’s glass (and his own) only to find it already full. During the scene, we see Dudley waive his finger in the background using his angel abilities to refill not only their glasses but the bottle as well.

I was thinking about this on my morning walk with Percy as I saying my ‘good mornings’ to God. (I don’t have super wordy prayers with God anymore unless I’m led by the Spirit. But I do like to have real conversations with Him during the day.) So there I was, walking and thinking about how this is a brand new day and a lovely morning when suddenly, a quote from Anne of Green Gables popped into my head-

“Tomorrow is fresh, with no mistakes in it.” ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

And I felt a sense of relief and peace. If you’re a Failed Perfectionist, like I am, you’ll know what I’m talking about here. It’s refreshing to learn you get a horde of brand new chances each morning. After all, we probably fell asleep the previous night after using some distraction to keep our brains from highlighting for us all the ways we failed. So waking up to a brand new day feeling like the white board has been wiped clean is pretty important. Then this verse popped into my brain from Lamentations chapter 3, verses 22-23 (ESV):

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

God’s mercy is new every morning. Every morning, there is a fresh batch of undeserved favor available. Without fail.

For someone who is serially hard on herself, I decided to let this run around my brain for a while. I felt the Holy Spirit showing me that, just like Dudley refilled Prof. Wutheridge’s glass over and over, God’s mercy and grace is replenished for us continually. Grace, favor, mercy, love – they never run out. Every time we use a supply of any of these, God instantly refills. And He never waits for morning to do it, either.

I know this might sound simple and contrite to some but God knows me and He knows how I think. I feel like He gives me these examples so my very process-driven brain can fully grasp what his Word is saying is to me. He knows I’m a visual learner and need things to be drilled down for me. He’s aware that lack of understand leads to frustration which leads to giving up.

He knows us perfectionists so well!

Think about this as you go into your weekend. Think about this as you wake up tomorrow morning. There’s brand new, shiny, unused mercy ready for you and it is more than enough for your day. It will never run out. It will never grow stale. You will never reach the bottom of the glass or the bottle. They will always be refilled.

He is a God of more than enough.