Article August 21, 1995 Issue

Overcoming "The Imperfection Blues"

Herb Huebsch

It's depressing. It's belittling. It robs joy. It saps energy. It preoccupies thought. It's "The Imperfection Blues." The refrain goes, "I should have done much better." Even if, having been D students, we have struggled and studied and fought our way up to B's, it says, "I should have earned A's. I'm just never going to amount to anything." It turns a triumph needing celebration into a funeral.

There's certainly nothing wrong and a lot right about striving to demonstrate man's God-given perfection. But there is a great deal wrong with overlooking our victories along the way. To listen to "The Imperfection Blues" is like taking a train trip with the window shades pulled down, traveling through awesome mountains, lush forests, graceful valleys, and never seeing any of them. "Let's focus on what's not accomplished," says The Blues. "Let's be unhappy that we're not there yet, and when we get there, let's be unhappy that there's another place we have yet to go."

Well, if that's our ticket, the destination is depression and failure. But that's not our destination. Christ Jesus showed us the way: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." he said (John 8:32).

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