Authenticity Over Perfection: The Key to True Connection

• By candidasullivan
• March 8, 2025
• No Comments

I used to have a perfectionist mindset. I believed that I needed to live perfectly to help others, show them God, and do this work. One day, I walked and cried when it felt like my life was falling apart.

I said, “God if people only knew how I struggle and how imperfect my life is, they wouldn’t want me to teach Sunday school, write books, or share my testimony on stage.

I’m sure God probably shook His head at my ignorance of His plan for me. NO ONE IS EVER INSPIRED BY SOMEONE PRETENDING TO BE PERFECT. We are all flawed. So when someone tries to pretend that they have it all together and are the perfect family with a perfect life, it screams fake.

The content of my books is how God turns my hardships and heartaches into blessings. I wouldn’t have anything to share if everything in my life was perfect. We inspire others by how we overcome our struggles. We don’t inspire others by pretending we don’t have struggles.

It’s unrealistic. We have all sinned, failed, and come short in one way or another. But the beautiful part of our story is the grace, strength, courage, faith, hope, and wisdom God gives us through it all. It’s by Him and through Him that we have anything or can do anything.

One of the most powerful connections we have with someone else is a shared experience. It is powerful when we can sit with them without judgment and understand their pain because it resembles our own. When we can whisper the words, “Me too,” we build connections. And God gives us beautiful opportunities to help each other.

But we can’t help or even understand someone struggling if we ignore our struggles and pretend they don’t exist. The enemy wants us to feel superior, to have pride, and to put ourselves above others.

God, on the other hand, wants us to love others and realize we are all doing the best we can with what we have. We are all sinners. And when we can see others as our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can trade our pride for humility. We can love them right where they are and stop judging.

Love can move mountains. It doesn’t need to compare. God’s love is enough and makes us all enough- just as we are.

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