Dear Tabernacle Family,
“To embrace and love who we are, we have to reclaim and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we’ve orphaned over the years.” Brene Brown.
If you have a perfectionist part, understand that it’s trying to keep you from feelings of shame. On a quest for love, significance, and security, perfectionist parts work tirelessly to prove your worth. Your perfectionist part may have developed as you grew up in your family of origin: Perhaps you received messages that you needed to perform in order to be accepted and loved. Or maybe you felt that your parent’s hopes and dreams were pinned on you. Perhaps you experienced social pressure or grew up in a family with secrets about alcoholism, drug addiction, or abuse. Now that you’re an adult, your inner perfectionist may be working overtime to disprove the message that you are defined by your past. It might believe shaming messages, such as, If I can do enough perfectly, my pain will go away.
In her popular TED talk, “The Power of Vulnerability,” Brene Brown teaches that wholehearted people have the courage to reveal their imperfections to others and to themselves. They’re willing to let go of who they should be in order to be who they are. Coeur, from which we get our English word courage, means “heart” in Latin. It takes courage to tell the authentic story of who you are.
If you struggle with an inner critic, an overly guilty conscience, or a perfectionist part, focus, befriend and invite Jesus to draw near. These well-meaning protectors have been working for a long time and could use some well-deserved rest.
Burdens of shame do not define you. Whereas these lies say you are unimportant, God says you are decidedly well-known and deeply loved. And you can be real because you are His. You are the light of the world and shame has no place in the light.
No one who hopes in You will ever be put to shame - Psalm 25:3
In His Name,
Cheri Leight
Creative Marketing Director