God Never Wastes a Hurt

For the greater part of my life, I have always felt like I needed to strive for perfection in order to be ‘acceptable’ among others. I felt like I need to be "somebody" in order to be "somebody (if that makes any sense at all...some of you can relate).

To be brief, I learned most certainly that perfection is not attainable, and that being "somebody" by earth's standards will most certainly pave the way for your downfall. Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV reads, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” No, this is not an excuse to sin or to declare a life outside of the will of God as 'acceptable.' It's simply a realization that so many of us should come to in order to fully embrace the reality that is our merciful, forgiving, gracious and loving Father.

Through the most unexpected and devastating circumstances, God showed me that my ministry was found in my imperfections. It was found in the grace He gave me when I deserved none. It was in those moments of my greatest weakness that His strength was magnified.

Many of the people He used as examples in the Bible were textbook examples of imperfect, but their life stories are now some of the greatest testimonies of what God can do. Perfection is not attainable in this mortal realm. Striving to be picture perfect for society will only drown you in a sea of overwhelming disappointment. Does this mean we should not strive to be the best version of ourselves? Absolutely not. Ambition and drive are awesome qualities we should all have and practice. But daily, our main focus and motivation should be striving to live according to God’s will. We should always yearn to grow closer to our Father and to become who He created us to be. Live according to our Father’s heavenly standards, not by this earth’s artificial standards of perfection.

I recently read this quote and it was an humbling reflection and reminder of the journey God has allowed me to take:

Your message, your ministry, your influence is built from your flaws.

People relate to humanity…not perfection. ~Mandy Hale

There is something to be appreciated in the struggle. God never wastes a hurt. He teaches us some of our greatest lessons in our greatest disappointments, and in turn, uses those same lessons through us so that we may extend grace and minister to others. It's truly liberating to accept the reality that God isn't expecting us to be perfect. He wants our total surrender, our love and a relationship with Him. He'll take the total package as is....with all that baggage. There is beauty in that baggage to Him. If He can use a man who was an adulterous murderer to become a man after His own heart and be part of the lineage of Christ, He most certainly can take what you've got and use it for a greater glory!

He allows our flaws and failures to fuel the rekindling of our fire that can burn for Him. Allow God to turn your mess into a message. Let the moments meant for ruin become a ministry professing God’s amazing grace and love. It's not about us anyway. It's so much bigger. It's ALL about HIM!

May Your Cup Runneth Over.