How our Imperfect Lives are Perfect

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Many of us are banking on this promise, but how does God accomplish good amidst all the chaos?

Our limitations keep us seeking His power.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Our imperfections and limitations drive us to the Lord.

• We don’t have power, but He does.
• We don’t know what to do, but He does.
• We can’t stand strong no matter what, but He can.

The answer is always found in Him.

Every day, you and I can hand God our limitations and trust Him to use our imperfect life for His perfect Story with history. Here are some prayers we can say:

“Lord, take my imperfect life and make it perfect for Your Story.”

Somehow, in His sovereignty, our lives matter for His Story — the eternal story God is writing that expands beyond the history of this earth bound in time and space. Our imperfect lives and capabilities are what God is using to build heaven as we share about Jesus and strengthen His church by helping others to grow in their faith. Our trust in God to use us in spite of our imperfections, pleases God.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

He smiles. In His hands, our lives count. Only He knows the perfect role each of our lives was created to play in His Story. When we surrender to His plan, perfection is written.

“Take my imperfect family and make it perfect for Your Story.”

Our imperfect family gives us countless opportunities to learn how to love with God’s love. We all love people who are easy, but family relationships are deeply woven and roots run deep. The intensity of connection naturally leads to more conflict, not less, and we can’t easily run away. We learn to love. We improve in our ability to stay calm in the storm, to forgive, surrender our wishes for the benefit of another, and model for each other that we don’t have to run away the minute the relationship is difficult.

“Take my imperfect friendships and make them perfect for Your Story.”

Our imperfect friends are glorious. The quirks and differences of opinion, varied viewpoints and different ways of living life keep us on my toes, keep us praying and keep us depending on God to respond more like Jesus in the moment. Whenever anyone opens their mouths to speak, we have no idea what is coming out next. In His hands, the chaotic swirl of conversations and life circumstances create a cohesive result for the Kingdom.

“Take my imperfect children and make them perfect for Your Story.”

My imperfect children give me a chance to trust. I will probably die before they do. I will not see what God does with their lives here on earth. I will only be standing there waiting and we will see together what God did with each of our lives for His Kingdom. We will dance together.

Some of us don’t yet know if our children will be in heaven with us. We love fiercely and stay on our knees. God is our only hope. Perhaps more than any other relationships, trusting God with our kids is the biggest act of faith we have to offer. In His hands, they are perfectly safe.

“Take my imperfect body and make it perfect for Your Story.”

In His hands, the frame He formed is perfect for His Story. In His hands, even in sickness and injury, how God uses the consequences of the fall in the garden of Eden gives way to a unique light for Jesus as we suffer well and trust God. In His hands, even sickness and accidents and “random” genetic combinations are part of writing a perfect story of His Kingdom.

“Take my imperfect personality and make it perfect for Your Story.”

I can be too much — too detailed, too intense, too loud, too literal. I know it. But I also know that only God knows the good purposes for which I was created. In His hands, my personality is perfectly suited to the role I am to play in history, and so is yours.

“Take my work and make it perfect for Your Story.”

I have shown up to jobs for decades. I have given each day my best, but I am not always operating at my best. Like you, sometimes I am tired, make mistakes, misunderstand a dispatch, execute a less than perfect plan, or execute a great plan poorly. Yet, I have asked God to use my efforts for His glory, so no matter what has happened, I trust that He has.

In the end, what you and I will see from our job lives is two-fold. First, our jobs were never about profit and title. Our jobs in God’s eyes were always about the people we worked, and our jobs were about refining our character to make us more like Jesus. We will see His perfection in the workplace once we get to heaven.

Go back and pray these prayers in earnest!

The secret to unlocking these promises is to keep showing up by faith and trusting that we are safely tucked into the larger story God is telling with history — His-Story. The author and perfecter of our faith is perfect. In Him there is no error. The prayers in this post are prayers of faith that demonstrate that we are earnestly seeking God.

Don’t let the imperfections cause us to miss the perfection in which we exist.  

Picture Explanation: Happy 31. Someday, my dear children, our imperfect lives are going to be seen as the perfect story they are because we surrendered our story to Him and believed Him for it.

Speaking of living a short life connected to God’s eternal story: If you want to join the next online One Gritty Blink Bible study, click on the Oaks Ministries link in the copyright line. Check out the study in the One Gritty Blink tab, then send me an email in the Contact tab so I can place you on a list to be contacted for a future study! Let’s not just focus on things in this short life, but also what counts for eternity.

Note: No part of my posts are derived from A.I. Thoughts and writing stem from my mind and heart as I process life week-by-week and continue to grow in my understanding of God and how to apply His wisdom to the world around me.

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