Do you have perfectionist tendencies? When you get nine out of ten things done on your to-do list, do you focus with dismay on the one thing you didn’t get done? Have you put off starting an exercise routine due to the fear of failure? Do you resist a close relationship with the Lord, thinking you have to earn His love by doing all the “right” things? Perfectionism arises from the desire to control every aspect of our lives. It gives us a false sense of security as we mistakenly think that if we are able to manipulate all of the variables, we can avoid hardship and have peace. Perfectionism is a falsehood, driven by the belief that we can achieve fulfillment by controlling our surrounding circumstances. Ironically, perfectionism often creates, rather than diminishes anxiety. Instead of the peace we crave, we experience frustration because perfection is not attainable. God desires that we have His peace. Whenever the perfectionism pattern of thinking manifests itself in our lives, we need to remember that only our Creator is perfect and He alone can bring us peace. His grace alone is sufficient for life. Through what Jesus did on the cross, we are empowered and freed by the Holy Spirit to live in peace. We need to place our trust in the Lord, with confidence, knowing that nothing in this world can separate us from His love. We need not be afraid because He is with us. We can be still, knowing that He is God.