We can feel reassurance and peace when we realize that our weaknesses and imperfections give us opportunities to draw closer to God.
Though most of us are able to recognize the good that we do in our lives, sometimes we focus too much on our imperfections, weaknesses, and mistakes. In “Finding Peace in Imperfection,” Elizabeth Lloyd Lund, a therapist at LDS Family Services, discusses the consequences of self-loathing and the benefits of self-loving.
Thoughts Become Our Reality
Lund reminds us that persistent negative thoughts influence our perception and reality. She says, “Many of us say things to ourselves that we would never say to another person. This, in turn, holds us back from our true potential and diminishes our abilities and talents.” Lund then encourages us to see ourselves as God sees us, for God’s perspective is far more valuable than anyone else’s.
Weaknesses Can Become Strengths
Moroni declared that our weaknesses can become strengths, but we need to be kind to and patient with ourselves throughout that process. Lund says, “God does not want us to denigrate ourselves and feel that we have little worth in His eyes.” She then says, “In order to grow from our weaknesses, we must turn to the Lord with faith, hope, and an understanding that He will hold us in the palm of His hand.”
Choose Happiness Now
As we strive to overcome our imperfections, we can “choose to focus on the good, rely on the Lord and His Atonement, and accept and learn from our imperfections.” This will lead us to “be at peace with our imperfections and find comfort in God’s redeeming love.”
Read the full text of Elizabeth Lloyd Lund’s article “Finding Peace in Imperfection.”
Source: lds.org
—Tyler Garrett, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
Watch President Ezra Taft Benson’s general conference address “Do Not Despair” to discover how to manage your imperfections through Christ’s atonement.
Study the seventh heresy—”we must be perfect to gain salvation”—in Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s devotional address “The Seven Deadly Heresies.”
Watch Elder J. Devn Cornish’s general conference address “Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?” to hear another authoritative response to these questions.
Listen to or read Brad Wilcox’s devotional address “His Grace Is Sufficient” to feel God’s peace as you consider your own strengths and weaknesses.
I wish i had read this post and full article so much sooner. There is so much peace to be found in accepting our weaknesses and turning them over to Christ. Your additional links were also very helpful. This is a topic that I think everyone needs to hear about more often.
These are good point to keep in mind. I might add that it’s important to remember that focusing on our weaknesses is not humility, neither is recognizing our worth in God’s eyes pride.
Something that has helped me with this is remembering that while the world focuses on weaknesses as flaws, the Lord sees them as opportunities for growth. Being humble means seeing our weaknesses the way the Lord does and letting him help us grow, not simply highlighting our flaws.
Love this. My thoughts tend to be much harder on myself than anyone else, and I sometimes do catch myself speaking inwardly to myself in harsh ways I never, ever would to other people. It’s taken work to unravel the bad habits, but now I’m better about not being so self-critical. Our capacity for agency includes how we think. I would recommend the book “Feeling Good” by David Burns to anyone looking for help changing their thought patterns!