I’m not ready….
I need to be a better version of myself first….
Lord, I want to serve you and share your truth, but I need to work on myself a little more….
Have those thoughts and excuses run through your mind before? Have you been so entrapped in thinking about all the things that disqualify you from serving Jesus? It was a few short days before I had planned to launch a personal ministry, and those thoughts seemed to be etched in my mind. I knew with all my heart that I was called to serve in this capacity, but as the days got closer, I felt more and more unqualified. I have faults and I am surely not the perfect role model. How do I share the truth of Jesus amid all of my flaws? The truth is I didn’t know if I could live up to the standard of being someone that shares the truth of Christ on a platform. I am far from perfect.
Maybe you have a dream the Lord has placed on your heart. Or maybe you know that you want to disciple, teach, and lead others to the truth of Christ, but you’ve thought, “I’ve got to wait until I’m flawless.” I know that I am not alone in thinking about all the ways I am not qualified to share the truth of Jesus. These thoughts start small, but before you know it, you have completely talked yourself out of sharing the truth because the enemy has tricked you into thinking you are not good enough. I’ve got good news. Through God’s grace He not only entrusts us, but He calls us to share truth with others even in our weakness. No– especially in our weakness! Jesus is the champion, but He chooses us to carry on His victory, knowing we are not perfect.
I want to give you some encouragement today if you have ever felt unqualified to fulfill the mission on your heart and in God’s Word.
- Imperfect life for His perfect glory
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Often the best display of God’s work is in our weakness. Truly, this is your testimony. Our failures and God’s goodness through them can be life-changing for someone else. Be proud of your imperfections especially if God has helped you through them. For I believe when He does that, it’s the most incredible and real way for God to use our imperfect life for His perfect glory. It’s our imperfections that make us human and relatable. Our struggles and inadequacies bind us together in pursuit of becoming more like Christ. The stories of God’s glory displayed in our weakness are how we live in victory through Jesus’s triumph over death.
- Look past your circumstances
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)
So, you have weaknesses… GREAT! I do too! Identifying your flaws is actually a good practice. Knowing you have weaknesses is not a disqualifier; it’s a qualifier for being used by God. If we didn’t have them, we would not depend on God. Recognizing weakness with the truth of Christ makes us more like Him. It is the purifying process this scripture references, and it forces us to look at our life through the lens of Christ. The trick is not focusing on your present-day weakness, but instead, looking past it and start thinking about how Christ can work through you. This type of mindset forces us to look past our existing circumstances and set our gaze upon how we minister through them. We are weak, and He is strong. That’s the way it is supposed to be, not so that we would cower behind our inadequacies, but instead tower above them with the strength of God’s Spirit with us.
- It’s time to GO
“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:25)
There comes a point in our Christian walk where we need to step out and GO! When I wanted to delay the release of my ministry, I had some friends that gracefully spoke truth. I want to do that for you today. I want to look at you in the eye and tell you that God calls us to go out and be doers of the Word. He doesn’t say go and tell when your life is perfect, or when you rid yourself of weakness. He doesn’t say go and share His truth when you become a Bible scholar or feel qualified. He says we are to put the Word of God in our hearts and DO what it says. Part of doing is actually going and telling.
I truly think the enemy will attempt to drag us down with anything and everything he can throw at us. One of his best tactics is shame by making us want to hide behind mistakes and imperfection so that we never step out in spreading the truth. I’ve seen him try this in my own life. I pray that when you recognize his work and ill intentions you will remember to look past your current circumstance, you will know that our imperfect life is the best display of God’s work, and then you will step out and GO!
Pray with me:
Dear Lord, I pray for the person reading this right now that worries about stepping out and shining the light of truth in weakness. I pray You give her strength, courage, and peace. Take away the spirit of fear and replace it with the truth of Your Word, the truth of Your grace, and the truth of Your love for us. I pray that You will shift her mentality from dwelling on imperfections that disqualify to imperfections that qualify us as the perfect vessel to reveal Your perfect glory. We love You Lord and praise You! Amen.
- Amanda May
Amanda May is a speaker, blogger, and Founder of Play for the King, where she provides videos and devotionals on Kingdom living. She is passionate about sports and Jesus and seeking to play this game called "life" for the King. Go check her out at www.playfortheKing.com and Instagram: @amandajmay86!