“Needs improvement.” Yikes. This might be the least favorite feedback to hear as leaders… or as humans.
Why is it so hard to hear feedback on the areas that we need to work on? Even though we recognize we aren’t perfect and we certainly know we have things we need to improve on, why does it hurt to hear that from someone?
If we’re honest… it’s because feedback that critiques us or something we’ve created brings a lie up to the surface. A lie that we’ve kept buried and we’ve continued to stuff down every time it tries to escape. There’s a lie we’ve been believing as truth. The lie is: we’re perfect.
Now, must of us would be quick to recognize that we indeed are not perfect. We know we aren’t even close to that. But while we know this isn’t true, we don’t exactly want others to know it is a lie – right?
We all struggle with owning our own failures because we’d prefer to keep them hidden – as if appearing perfect will make us more relatable or more professional to our audience, to our team, to our family. We’d rather pretend that we are perfect beings, perfect leaders, perfect parents so that we can continue pretending like we don’t need the perfection of Jesus. Spoiler alert: we need Jesus.
Kids need Jesus. Parents need Jesus. Volunteers need Jesus. And so do Leaders!
There’s a reason why Jesus came to the earth as our perfect substitute and sacrifice. There’s a reason why he had to be the one to step into our place. Because he is the ONLY one who could do it. He’s the only one who is perfect. He doesn’t need improvement. This is not by mistake, this is by design.
We have good news today – Jesus doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He doesn’t look down on us as leaders, as parents, as friends because we mess up. He is 100% unsurprised by our limitations and our inability to be perfect. He’s not shaken. He’s not concerned. Like any loving parent, he is perfectly aware of his children’s imperfections… and he loves us anyway.
All Jesus wants from us is our attention and our affection.
He wants us to take one step closer to Him. He wants us to spend one more moment with him vs our phones. He wants us to linger one more minute in prayer with Him. He wants us to move 1 degree closer to him.
Maybe you’re not doing something well right now – and someone has told you that. How can you take this feedback and move it along, making it just 1% better so you look more like Jesus in your circumstances and in your responses? How can you respond with ownership instead of blame?
If the feedback is from a trusted, compassionate source – do we accept it as true? Or do we filter it through our tribe so it’s watered down instead of potent truth meant for our good?
Do we apply “needs improvement” to our lives as direction and instruction, refusing to receive it as an insult to our character because we know who God made us to be?
Do we allow it to bring us closer to Jesus, because we recognize we are imperfect (but loved) beings?
Are we humble, relying on Jesus’ perfection instead of striving for our own? Are we wise enough to accept that God has given us wise counsel in our lives to better us for His glory and our good? Can we be open to handling feedback with humility so we can receive what He is refining in us?
Questions to Consider
-Are you moving closer to Jesus? Is He your hope and your joy? Is He your strength? There’s nothing more important than becoming more like Jesus each day. This makes you a better leader, friend, parent, coach!
-How are you becoming 1% more like Jesus? In every choice, every fight, every discouragement, every battle, we have the ability to choose the right thing. This choice will draw us closer to Him. What would it look like to become 1% more like Jesus each day? What are some steps you can take today to move yourself closer to him?
Let’s be 1% more like Jesus so the rest of the 99% will see Him as perfect, not us!
Jesus loves you and He is cheering you on!
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