Unreasonably high expectations easily turn into perfectionism, and this can be most frustrating. Ben, a young married man, confesses: “When I examine my actions, thoughts, or feelings, I always see how they could have been better. I am constantly looking for perfection, and this leads to impatience, frustration, and disappointment.” Gail, a Christian wife, says: “Perfectionist thinking does not allow for failure. We want to be supermoms and superwives. We have to be productive to be happy, so wasted effort irritates us.”

The consequences of perfectionist thinking are well summed up in the adage: “To expect life to be tailored to our specifications is to invite frustration.” To avoid this, an adjustment in thinking is required. Humility and modesty​—having a realistic view of our limitations—​will most certainly nurture in us balanced and reasonable expectations. Appropriately, Romans 12:3 cautions us “not to think more of [ourselves] than it is necessary to think.” Additionally, Philippians 2:3 encourages us to have lowliness of mind and to consider others to be superior.