Good, Great, Frozen

Your biggest obstacle might be the things you say yes to—or the things you never start.

Jesus commands us, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” but trying to be perfect at everything is spiritual stupidity. It denies our humanity. That’s why I’ve championed strategic mediocrity: the humble admission that we are creatures, not the Creator, and that not every task is meant to bear the weight of our excellence.

I’ve also argued that good enough is best, because we get closer to “the best” by making commitments and growing in the process—trying things out instead of sitting on our hands and waiting for perfection to knock politely at our door.

The tension is real: we can’t let “good” busyness crowd out our call to greatness, but we also can’t let the fear of imperfection freeze us in place. The challenge is learning which few things God is actually calling you to perfect, and then having the courage to begin—even before you feel ready.