There’s a pleather ottoman sitting in our living room. It’s a trick-ottoman though, and the hinges swing back and some trendy Threshold designer dreamed of interlocking cable knit throws nestled inside. Contrarily and unglamorously, it’s my in-progress book bin. A litter of dog-eared pages with pens shoved between chapters and paragraphs scrawled with notes even I can’t make out sometimes. The books make it here, and they’re allowed to migrate to live on the shelf in the office.

Like any good millennial, I’m desperate to know more.

#allthethings, right?

Nose darting between fiveish books at a time, the same number as podcasts paused awaiting the next time I commute down Atlanta roads. Desperate for more knowledge. I even pray for it, y’all. For more wisdom to understand Him and His truths. Hunger doesn’t begin to describe it …

Can I be honest? In my pride and perfectionism sin, I even pendulum swing between a thrill of hope that so many WOMEN (femme flag, y’all!) pour bedrock truths about perfectionism and breaking busy into books and TED Talks. That, and feeling like God’s called me to write and I can’t read fast enough to research and all the things are taken already and we’re too media saturated and it’s only 2016 and so maybe I heard Him wrong.

Here’s something one of my favorite theologians said (yes, it was in one of those podcasts):

“It is a wonderful thing to just know a few, solid things really well. I don’t know a lot of things, because I’m a slow reader, and I have a bad memory. Now, when you put slow reading and a bad memory together, it means there are only a few things in here. But those few things are the most important things and I feel strongly about them … I want to encourage you with that, because you may feel like ‘Gosh, there’s so much theology going on. Books are so thick. Magazines are so many and blogs are by the million and I don’t know anything. Well, join the club. Don’t try to know a lot. Just know the big things. And know them really well.”

– John Piper, God-Centered Convictions for Frontier Missions, The Gospel Coalition. The irony here is Piper is basically a genius.

Know a few things. Be still and know.

In quietness and rest is your strength (Isa. 30:15).

Come to Me, all who are weary and rat-racing and perfectionists.

I know His upside-down economy of grace unmerited and a redemption plan written before there were even any people to redeem and that sometimes — okay, usually — I’m pridefully making good-deed plays when He has no such thing as a highlight reel featuring me anyway.

I know His economy is upside down. So it shouldn’t surprise me that in praying for this wisdom, maybe it means depth and not breadth. Slowed, quiet prayer. Jesus withdrew to meditate and pray in solitude. That’s my wisdom-key, too.

And that, friends, is a restful perfectionism antidote.

Know a few things, but know them well.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

– Matthew 11:28-30

Here’s a little encouragement for you to pin or download: