THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH
The enemy of good is perfect!
One of the greatest stressors in people’s lives in our modern culture is the stress that comes from wanting everything to be just perfect. The constant pursuit of having things look perfectly clean, or perfectly fixed like brand new, even though something still works well, but wanting them to be absolutely perfect is creating tremendous stress in people’s lives.
I want to pass on one of my great life secrets. It’s called–good enough! This wisdom insight has brought much peace and rest to my personal world. It has helped me manage my life far more effectively, and blessed me in a variety of ways.
Let me illustrate. Many years ago, I helped my daughter find a good, used car to drive. It was a wonderful little car—great gas mileage, reliable, and suited her just great. One day, while pulling out of a parking ramp, she turned a bit too sharply near a cement pillar and the front bumper on one side came off and was dangling. She was obviously frustrated by it, which was understandable. It would probably cost a lot of money to fix. We took it to the body shop, and they wanted almost $1000 to repair it. I was stunned. There was no damage to the bumper, no chipped paint, it had just detached. The part that attached it to the car had broken off. I came home, looked it over carefully, then went into the garage, got three black zip ties, and found a way to attach the bumper back onto the frame of the car. You couldn’t even tell something had happened to the car. My daughter drove it that way for years to come. It never detached again or caused a problem.
This is a perfect illustration of—good enough. We saved $1000, didn’t have to put the car in the body shop for a week, and solved this big problem in just a few minutes. Why? Because we decided to let go of perfection. We were content with good enough.
This has application for almost everything in our lives. I see people dealing with so much stress because they feel tremendous pressure to have things be perfect. In fact, this is one of the reasons home prices are so expensive. People want the best of everything. Expensive countertops. Stainless steel appliances. Perfect windows. Brand new kitchen cabinets. Everything perfectly remodeled and updated. Then people want the interior of their home to look like a perfectly cleaned motel room every single day. It’s crazy, but true. Their toilet can’t have one stain on it. It must look perfectly white all the time or they freak out. They don’t want the old formica countertops because they will show stains, or slight discoloration, even though they are clean and still function very well. And of course, with children in the home, perfection is an exercise in futility. But still, they keep trying!
This kind of living puts people under tremendous pressure and stress all the time. It makes it very difficult for people to relax, to actually be at peace and experience real freedom.
Don’t misunderstand. I believe in discipline. I believe in order. Both of these qualities bring greater peace and rest. I practice them every day. But, that does not mean everything has to be perfect.
My 40-year-old carpet is clean, but not perfect. It’s good enough. My 40-year-old linoleum bathroom floor is worn, it’s not perfect. It’s good enough. My yard is mowed, but there are some thistles, dandelions, and a few long weeds here and there beside the house. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough! My 40-year-old blacktop driveway has some cracks, a few rough places, but it is still very functional and can still be Jet-Blacked when needed. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough! I think of my life at home as if we are living in the summer cabin! This brings tremendous freedom.
My workout has me functionally fit, but a ripped, shredded body I’ll never have. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough!
It is essential for your peace of mind, for managing stress effectively, to be able to discern when something needs to be perfect, so to speak, and when good enough is good enough!
For example, my tax filings and forms must be filled out and filed perfectly, if I want to keep the government out of my life. So I make sure they are done exactly right, every time. I even send them in early, every quarter!
In my Strong Disciple ministry, every expense report is filled out perfectly, with every receipt perfectly attached. Every penny is accounted for. My records are kept meticulously. All tax and report filings are done on time, and filled out exactly right. Good enough won’t do. It must be perfect.
The oil in my car needs to be changed on time, and I need to make sure my oil filter is put on perfectly, and the drain plug tightened right, or I could ruin the car!
I keep on top of my finances every day. I strive to live within our budget and reach specific goals. But reaching every goal perfectly is unrealistic. I make sure our budget is balanced. I maintain high standards but do not weary myself striving for perfection. As the unexpected frequently happens, I keep an emergency fund ready at all times. This allows some flexibility in my budget for those frustrating, unexpected expenses that arise.
I get a good night’s rest, but never a perfect night’s rest.
When doing my job, or serving others, I strive for excellence. I try to give my very best effort. I believe in a job well done. I am not advocating a sloppy, thoughtless way of life. I am not advocating mediocrity. I am advocating wisdom and insight in how you approach life. I hope you understand the difference.
My goal is your peace of mind, greater freedom, and genuine mental and emotional rest. I want to unshackle you from the oppressive chains of perfectionism, from the all-consuming desire for “the perfect” that’s been inflicted on you by this wicked culture.
Perfectionism is a cruel and merciless oppressor.
It was for freedom that Christ set us free! Freedom from the law of perfection!
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
