I am a perfectionist. I’m not proud of it. Striving for excellence can be positive, but perfectionism often drains me and steals my peace.
For years I believed the lie that I must always do everything perfectly. When I fall short, I feel like a failure. Those feelings lead me to harsh self-criticism and the false voices that insist I’m not enough. When that happens, I lose my focus and drift off course for a while.
It often takes substantial time and effort to find my footing again. Even after I recover, I tend to look back with regret, replaying past mistakes and wishing I had done better. I can be unbearably hard on myself, and it does not help me grow.
I am learning to see myself the way God sees me. How does God see me? He sees me cleansed from every sin by the blood of Jesus. He sees me as a new person, not defined by old failures or regrets, but as His beloved child.
God’s love is not tied to my achievements. It is constant and unchanging. He invites me to let go of the past and to embrace the new things He is doing in my life.
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43: 18-19, NKJV
God tells us not to dwell on former things. He asks us to intentionally release them. The Amplified Bible renders the phrase as “or ponder the things of the past,” highlighting how easy it is to waste time mentally replaying old hurts and failures.
Pondering past mistakes consumes energy that God wants to redirect into the present, because He is actively doing something new. The past does not determine today when God is at work in our lives.
So I am choosing to forgive myself. My shortcomings remain before me, but God says I am forgiven. I believe Him, and I choose to view myself as He does.
This choice is not an excuse for complacency or careless living. Rather, it creates space for grace to work in me. God’s grace allows me to learn, to grow, and to move forward without being shackled by self-condemnation.
Scripture reminds us that the righteous person may fall seven times but rises again each time (Proverbs 24:16). That means no matter how often we stumble, we can rise again and keep going. Keep rising. Keep moving forward.
To you reading this: keep rising. God’s mercies are new every morning. He will forgive you when you repent and turn to Him. His arms remain open wide.
God, help me to see myself as You see me. Forgive me for letting the past hold me down. Deliver me from self-condemnation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.