Summer Stress Buster #3 - Focus on your blessings, not your flub-ups!

When you flub-up, trip-up, or appear less perfect than you’d like to be, what do you do?

I flubbed up at a writers/speakers conference once. We were asked to give a 20-second introduction; the kind we’d say after someone asks what we do.  I did not do well!  It seemed that everyone else was polished, perfect, and professional. I was unpolished, imperfect, and chatty!  Not what we were supposed to be!

So what happened? I spent the rest of the evening and half of the night rehearsing my flub-up. UNTIL I sensed the Holy Spirit saying,

“Poppy, what happened has happened. Focus instead on all the blessings I’ve poured out on you today: making new friends, helpful workshops, great conversations, and being part of a group of committed and capable Christian women whose delight is serving God with the gifts He has given.”

Once I switched my focus and began praising and thanking God for his goodness, I could let the embarrassment go and count it as yet another spiritual growth moment!

Too often, we obsess about what we said or did (or didn’t do), what people might be saying about us, or what our “perfect” friend is silently thinking. What’s the result of constantly rehearsing our failure? Our vision gets blurred and we end up making ourselves feel like complete, miserable failures.

Our self-assessment is often skewed, and sometimes totally wrong. But, even if what we’re telling ourselves is a bit true:

Are we complete failures because we flub up on occasion?

I don’t think so.  More than that, I know so!

Here’s some reasons why from Psalm 103:

God forgives our sins. Not all flub ups are sins—but we’re forgiven when they are (v.3)

We’re dust—we’re not perfect, yet He values us, views us with compassion (not criticism), and accepts our humanity (v.13-14)

He loves those who honor Him from the heart. It is not conditional on human beings being perfect! (v.8,11)

Praising God is the key that changes our focus. To experience release from the grip of self-obsessed criticism and condemnation, pivot from rehearsing your mistake(s) to yourself or others, and start rehearsing what God has blessed you with (v.1-5).

Q. Instead of thinking about something that didn’t go as well as you hoped, what blessing can you praise God for today? Will you share it?

Main photo: https://unsplash.com/photos/Hwcit1EVaVQ

Second photo: GraphicStock