Less Stress and More Peace: A Secret to Help You!
We have a special gift for you. Every Friday in December, 12-year-old Bekah and I will be sharing a devotion with you. These Friday posts are adapted from our mother-daughter devotional book, Girl to Girl. We wrote the book with a vision for moms and daughters to read each devotion together, but we invite you to join us even if you aren’t a mother or daughter! We hope to help you have less stress and more peace with today’s post! Let’s get to it!
How to Have Less Stress and More Peace
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17
Mom’s Thoughts on How to Have Less Stress:
I was in middle school when I set out on a quest to be perfect. I couldn’t stand getting anything less than an A on every test, and I wanted to be the best artist, the fastest runner, and the best writer in my class. Looking back now, I see that my desire for perfection was partially about doing my best, but it was also about pride.
You may or may not be holding yourself to a standard of perfection at school, but I imagine there’s some area of your life in which you’d like to be perfect. You want to be the perfect friend, the perfect musician, or the perfect Christian. Maybe you always want your outfits to be perfect, or you’re all about having the perfect hair.
Your pursuit of perfection might work for a few years. You might do well in school, have lots of popular friends, and get good grades. However, sooner or later, you’re going to make a mistake, fail to achieve perfection, and feel like you’ve failed.
Throughout the past few years, I’ve learned a simple phrase that has released me from my exhausting pursuit of perfection: “Pursue excellence, not perfection.” This simple phrase sets me free by reminding me that it’s okay to make mistakes. I don’t have to be perfect. I just need to give my best.
Perfection is an unattainable goal because only God is perfect. If the pursuit of perfection has you stressed out and feeling defeated, change your motto. Stop striving for perfection and strive for excellence instead.
Girl to Girl (From Bekah):
“AHHHHH! I GOT A C!!!!! It’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me on the face of this Earth!”
Have you ever felt like this? Maybe you studied for hours, and someone who didn’t study at all got a better grade. It stinks.
It feels good to get good grades and be the best at things that are important to us, but guess what? God cares about one thing even more: He cares that you tried your best.
My mom tells me she doesn’t care if I don’t always get A’s. She just wants me to try my best and then not stress out over the results.
I’ve learned that it’s better to give my best effort than to get 110 percent!
My mom and I aren’t telling you to slack off and quit studying. We just want to encourage you to give your very best and then try not to stress out over the results! Perfection is way overrated.
Give your best, and then try not to stress out over the results. Perfection is way overrated. #lessstress #peace #teendevotion Share on XTalk About It:
- In what area of your life is God calling you to exchange perfectionism for excellence?
- What would it look like for you to stop trying to be perfect in this area, let go of your desire for control, and pursue excellence instead? (Be specific: What grades would be acceptable? What sort of performance would be excellent without needing to be perfect?)
- How does the pursuit of excellence set us free from the unattainable goal of achieving perfection?
Pray Together:
God, we know that only you are perfect. Thank you for being holy and calling us to follow you in holiness. As we pursue you, help us set aside our prideful desires for perfection and find peace in knowing that we are giving our best efforts and leaving the outcomes in your hands. Amen.
Journal Later:
Do you put pressure on yourself to be perfect in any area of your life? How does this pressure make you feel? What is one thing your family could do to help you pursue excellence instead of perfection? For example, would you like your parents to put less pressure on you when it comes to your grades or after-school activities?
Get Your Copy of Girl to Girl in Time for Christmas!
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is on sale on Amazon right here! Each devotion is written in the format above and also includes a journaling section for mothers and daughters to write journal entries. This book makes a life-changing Christmas gift for the moms and daughters in your life! Help these mothers and daughters build stronger relationships and grow in their faith together!
