Learn to Love Your Imperfections Like God Does

The other day I stood in the middle of this living room and started planning a remodel project. I looked at the room with critical eyes and decided what needed to go and what needed to stay and what should have never been there in the first place. But in the middle of all that looking, something sad happened.

I couldn’t get inspired.

Not even a little bit. I couldn’t move forward with planning the project because all I saw were the cracks and chips and all the work that needed to be done. I was looking for inspiration in this room. I was looking for accessories and creative repurposing and ideas to make the living room fresh again.

But instead? All I saw were its flaws.

Has that ever happened to you?

You want to decorate. You look at a space and your heart wants to create something beautiful and welcoming and inviting and fresh. But all the chips and cracks come along and steal your decorating joy.

You might not see the imperfections like me. But trust me, they are there. The baseboards need to be painted. The chair has dings and knicks and chipped paint. The wood paneling needs to be nailed back in place. The shelves are crooked.

And the bookcases haven’t seen a facelift since I wore stirrup pants.

In truth?

Some people might disagree. They might say that the living room has elements that make it so pretty. The couches are extra comfortable and the prettiest color. There’s a beautiful wood map hanging on the wall. The french doors let in plenty of light and the worn gray rug on the floor makes the space feel cozy.

Same living room.

Same stuff. Same sofas and chairs and pillows and bookcases and baskets and accessories and light fixtures.

Same decorating story.

But told from two different perspectives.

I know we are talking about decorating and living rooms and painting and remodeling, but if you look closely, there is such an important spiritual lesson here.

Truly.

Sometimes we are so busy focusing on the flaws and the chips and the unpainted baseboards and the bookcases that needs to be replaced that we miss the beauty that is already there. We let those chips and dings and scratches steal our joy. We compare ourselves to others and let feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction make us feel small instead of embracing the incredible individuals that God created us to be.

Psalm 139 13-14 tells us, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

God knows you.

God sees every crack and every line and every imperfection of your heart (and your living room) and he loves you right where you are at. He loves the you of the here and the now and the you of this very minute.

So celebrate your imperfections today.

You are perfectly designed.