Excellence vs Perfection

I want to excel in my studies, I really do. But what is it that defines my excellence? Straight A’s, High Distinctions, or maybe a perfect score? Yea, I used to think that grades were the most important; pretty impressive to get high grades, isn’t it? But perhaps excellence is not all about grades or getting the perfect score; it is different from perfection. In God’s eyes, being excellent doesn’t require perfection; it is doing the best we can with the resources we have at hand.

In life, we work hard to advance as far as our abilities can take us and I have no doubts that God wants us to work hard. But, I also believe that God does not want us to work ourselves to the extent we start losing the joy and happiness in carrying out the responsibilities we have. We all struggle to meet different demands from different people and at times, the expectations people have on us can be pretty draining on our time and energy. Suddenly, words like joy, rest, and freedom are lost because we consider them to be things that can only be done later.

I still have the tendencies to fall back into the trap of perfectionism. Whenever I realize that impatience and worries are starting to cloud my heart, I need to stop whatever I’m doing and remind myself that God doesn’t call us to perfection; after all, only He can be perfect. He only calls us to maturity and a balanced life. Studies and work are important, but so are the physical, social and spiritual aspects of our lives. In every aspect, there are duties which we are called to do and no one aspect can dominate all of our time. The best way out is probably to just do the best we can in the time allotted for every portion of work we have.

With exams coming nearer, there is certainly a higher demand on time and energy. Yes, there is a necessity to place greater emphasis on higher priority tasks and let lesser priorities slide a little. But maybe relaxation and joy need not wait till exams are over; we can still have fun while studying; it is God’s plan after all that we enjoy every moment of our lives with Him. In times like these- the ‘stress’ season, I pray that God will continually help me find joy in whatever circumstances I may be in and may this joy give me the strength I need to persevere through any hardships. I want to trust God, the One who by His power holds all things together- the moon, the stars and all of creation, to also hold my hand as I walk through this journey of life set before me.