Surrendering Perfect & Embracing Excellence

Surrender sounds beautiful in theory but can prove to be challenging in practice, especially for those of us who've mastered the art of self-reliance. In this reflective episode of Faith Bits, we explore the delicate balance between striving for excellence and falling into the trap of perfectionism.

Have you ever caught yourself doing things in your own strength with just "a sprinkle of God on top"? That's the perfectionism paradox—believing we honor God through flawless execution when He's actually inviting us into something deeper. The liberating truth is that it's okay to get it wrong. It's okay not to know what comes next. These moments of uncertainty aren't failures but invitations to genuine relationship with God.

When we surrender our grip on having everything figured out, we create space for divine wisdom to flow. Scripture promises that when we ask God for wisdom, He pours it out generously. This becomes particularly precious in seasons of transition where the familiar roadmap disappears. Instead of retreating to self-sufficiency, we're encouraged to bring our questions directly to Him: "God, I don't know what to do" or "God, I fell short today." These honest conversations transform our uncertainties from sources of shame into pathways to deeper connection.

The beautiful resolution comes in understanding that excellence differs fundamentally from perfectionism. Excellence glorifies God; perfectionism validates self. One brings freedom; the other creates bondage. Join us in prayer as we surrender perfectionism, condemnation, and self-reliance, embracing instead a spirit of excellence that points not to our capabilities but to His goodness. What area of control might God be asking you to surrender today?

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and the Challenge of Surrender
• 0:40 It's Okay to Get It Wrong
• 1:18 Asking for God's Wisdom
• 1:43 Closing Prayer for Surrender

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey everyone, welcome back to Faith Bits with Allie. I'm your host, allie, with your daily faith bit. When we are so used to doing things on our own, the surrender can be real, especially if you dealt with perfectionism, because now you're trying to still, to an extent, do it out of your own strength, sprinkled with God on top of it. You want to do it from a spirit of excellency, though, knowing that it's being done to glorify him. You don't have to be perfect, and so it's okay to surrender. It's okay to get it wrong surrender. It's okay to get it wrong. It's okay to not know what to do next. So now be intentional about your relationship with him and in that, just go back to him saying God, I don't know what to do. Or God, how do I do this? Or God, I fell short in this area today, and allow him to guide you. He tells us to ask him for wisdom and he'll pour it out generously, and so that is what I'm asking the Lord. That's what I'm asking him for in this season, because I'm so used to having things laid out and what do I do next?

Speaker 1: 1:37

So some of us may struggle with that, but let's surrender those areas to God. Today, let me pray for you, but let's surrender those areas to God. Today, let me pray for you, lord. We surrender our own will to you. Today, god, we give it all to you. We desire to know what it is that you desire for us, and so if there's anything that has hindered us, such as perfectionism or condemnation, or just not knowing any better, god, we relinquish it to you now, god, and we move forward in alignment with you. God, we thank you that we do things with the spirit of excellency, and that's it, so that you would be glorified in all things. In Jesus's name, I pray. Amen, peace, love and blessings.