The Problem With Perfection

Do you know someone who backslides about every 3 months? They live in sin and thrive off of the things of the world - then they have an encounter with God and go back to the straight and narrow. About 3 months pass by, maybe even less, and you notice they're back to their old ways. Have you ever wondered why this is such an issue? Well here's my theory:
Yes, we are supposed to strive for perfection. Yes, we are supposed to be like Jesus, follow His example, and try our best to live each day of our lives for Him. But sometimes we can get so caught up in all of the emotions that we aren't living for Jesus anymore, we're just trying to be perfect. We want to do good for God, but at the same time we know others are watching and if they even see the slightest hint of us falling, then they'll turn on us. We set ourselves up for failure. I know I've done it in the past, and maybe some of you have as well. After the encounter with God you feel so close to Him. You read your Bible every day, you go to church every time the doors open, you read the latest Christian literature, you have deep conversations about God with random people, and you surround yourself with great Christian friends. And then you get burnt out. You want to try something else... so let's say you go to a party. You used to struggle with drinking, but you've put that in your past. Someone hands you a beer. You drink it. You're gone. The rest is history. The weeks following this you do not read your Bible, you do not pray, you do not discuss God. You are embarassed. You have failed. You are not perfect.
I think that a way Christians can deal with this vicious cycle is by understanding that perfection actually isn't an option. Striving for it? YES! Do strive to be like our savior! But, if you were meant to be perfect... what'd Jesus die for? The moment we start demanding perfection and obsessing in every area of our lives is the moment we replace the savior. And that my friends, is a dangerous move. So instead of staying in the rut - instead of setting ourselves up for failure - how about we just live one day at a time? Let's live for God, not for the idea of perfection. I think more meaningful relationships with our Lord would result.