Growing Through Imperfection
We grow spiritually much more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. That might just be the central message of how spiritual growth happens, yet nothing in us wants to believe it. If there is such a thing as human perfection, it seems to emerge precisely from how we handle the imperfection that is everywhere, especially our own. What a clever place for God to hide holiness, so that only the humble and earnest will find it! A so-called perfect person ends up being one who can consciously forgive and include imperfection rather than one who thinks he or she is totally above and beyond imperfection. It becomes sort of obvious once we say it out loud. In fact, I would say that the demand for the perfect is the greatest enemy of the good. Perfection is a mathematical or divine concept; goodness is a beautiful human concept that includes us all. People whom we call “good” are always people who have learned how to include contradictions and others, even at the risk of their own proper self-image or their social standing. This is quite obvious in Jesus.
—by Richard Rohr, Yes, And…: Daily Meditations
We like to think growth comes from getting everything right—but God often uses our mistakes as the greatest teachers. True spiritual maturity doesn’t come from living above imperfection, but from learning how to face it, forgive it, and include it—especially in ourselves. In this way, holiness is hidden in a place only the humble will find.
The demand for perfection can crush the good that God is building in us. Goodness, unlike perfection, makes room for contradiction, grace, and love that risks our image or status for the sake of others. Jesus modeled this beautifully, welcoming imperfect people and loving them into transformation. In God’s hands, even our flaws can become soil where compassion and wisdom grow. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics