Focusing on God’s promises can help you access the power of Jesus Christ—even when perfectionism tells you you’re not enough.
My friend was doing everything she thought she should be—attending church regularly, praying and studying the scriptures daily, and striving to keep her covenants—but she still felt like she was in a lull. It was hard to feel the power of Jesus Christ in her life. She was plagued with questions like “What am I doing wrong?” and “What am I missing that everyone else seems to get?”
PHOTO BY KELLY SIKKEMA
My friend is neither the first nor the last person to have this experience. Throughout life, we may experience lulls in our connection with God, and the reasons for those lulls may be unknown to us. When I experience spiritual lulls in my life, it is important for me to remember that I do not need to be perfect to utilize the power of Jesus Christ in my life—God only asks that I try. If I sincerely desire to feel the power of Jesus Christ, God will not withhold that power just because I imperfectly seek it.
In his general conference address “The Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives Every Day,” Elder Joaquin E. Costa reminds us of exactly this principle, saying, “Although we are imperfect at remembering Him, our loving Heavenly Father never fails to remember us.” Elder Costa also reminds us what the power of Jesus Christ is ultimately for: “Sometimes we may think, ‘I need to fix my life before I come to Jesus,’ but the truth is that we come to Jesus to fix our lives through Him.”
God has gifted us Christ’s power because we are imperfect, not as a reward for being perfect. The enabling power of Christ’s Atonement allows us to strive for perfection through him. We can find hope in focusing on God’s promise that he remembers and supports those who earnestly try to become more like him—even when we may struggle to feel worthy of that promise.
Read more about how the power of Jesus Christ can help us on our journey to perfection in Elder Costa’s full address “The Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives Every Day.”
Source: General Conference
—Katie Greene, Latter-day Saint Insights
Find more insights
Take a look at President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “Perfection Pending” for more information on this topic.
Read more about how to use Christ’s power in our daily lives in Sister Emily Belle Freeman’s address “Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ.”
Because we strive for perfection, it feels like we’re failing when we aren’t perfect. I appreciate Elder Costa’s reminder that perfection isn’t really meant to be attained mortally, but is instead an eternal goal.