Projecting Imperfections

Inevitably, we will be disappointed or let down by people, some in big ways, some in small ways, because people are flawed, imperfect, sinful. What can happen in the wake of such disappointments is something known as psychological projection. This a defense mechanism people use to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. People will project negative qualities onto others when they either don’t want to deal with the negative qualities that exist in themselves, or they have experienced so much hurt and pain in the past, they project the negativity onto others. If we are not careful, this can lead to us projecting these imperfections onto God. Some people feel they can’t trust God or will only trust Him to a point because they assume He will fail them simply because they have been failed by others. They are psychologically projecting imperfections onto our perfect God. The act of projecting these imperfections onto God is just another example of our own imperfection. We are flawed, we are sinful; God is not and He always keeps His promises. Here are few verses about God to help us hold to the truth of who He is.

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:5-9)

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. (…) If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.’” (Psalm 91:2-4, 9-16)

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)

Truth be told, we could copy the entire Bible as evidence of God’s perfection and promises kept. The whole story of the Scriptures is God moving closer to His people to save them. Every action is a promise kept. When you feel those imperfect projections start to creep in, remember God’s promises to His people. One way to help is to keep a faithfulness journal. Write down all of the times that you have personally experienced God’s faithfulness to you. When he saved you from that car accident or when He turned what you thought was a terrible situation into a great one. With your own personal record of God’s faithfulness, you can better combat those moments when you may want to project imperfections onto our perfect God.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed