You are a work in progress. You know that, don’t you? And if you don’t, you need to. What you also need to understand is this: God is not waiting for you to reach some imagined level of righteousness or holiness before He is willing to use you. He uses you at every stage of your spiritual journey.
If you will lean on the Lord, you can be confident that He is the One who will help you walk out His plan for your life—day by day, step by step. The Apostle Paul said it this way:
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, NIV)
God can—and will—carry out His plan in your life if you are willing to do your part. So what is your part? Let me start by telling you what it is not. Your part is not to be perfect. That is never going to happen.
Your part is to stay close to the Lord—reading and meditating on His Word, praying, and being part of a local church. Not because church attendance earns favor with God, but because fellowship with other believers helps you grow. God designed us to mature in community, not isolation.
This isn’t burdensome. It’s life-giving. It’s joyful. It has the power to redirect your life and lead you into God’s abundant blessings. It is the beginning of real adventure with God.
God often speaks through people—through your pastor, through fellow believers, and sometimes through unexpected voices. He also uses people to pray for you and stand as spiritual protection against the schemes of the enemy. If you listen to the Spirit of God through His Word and through the people He places in your life, you will reach the completion of God’s plan for you.
God is working in you. He wants you to believe that His power is active in your circumstances and that He is able to work through you to bless others. God is not waiting for you to be perfect.
Read the Gospels. Jesus used His disciples at every stage of their growth. Did they make mistakes? Absolutely. Did that stop Jesus from using them? Not at all.
“And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.” (Mark 16:20, NLT)
Despite their imperfections, God worked powerfully through them—and He will do the same through you and me.
You will make mistakes as you learn to let God use you. You will fall off your bike. But when you do, don’t quit. Get back up. Have faith and try again.
One of the most vivid memories of my daughter Stephanie’s childhood is the day I taught her to ride her bike. She was nervous and afraid and did not want me to let go as I ran alongside her down the sidewalk. After a while, she began to get the hang of it, and I let go. She didn’t even realize it until she reached the end of the block and saw I was far behind.
Not long after that, she wanted to ride to my parents’ house a few blocks away. As we rode, she turned a corner, slipped in some sand, and went down hard. Her cry sounded like one of those air-raid sirens that goes off each month. It took time to comfort her and calm her fears—but eventually, I had to help her get back on the bike.
It wasn’t easy. She was cautious and shaky at first, but she kept going. And we made it to my parents’ house without another fall. Before long, she loved riding her bike.
That’s how it works with God.
You will stumble. You will feel fear and doubt. But believing is the key. Faith is not just hoping God might do something—it is knowing that it is His will, His desire, and His delight to work in you and through you, despite your imperfections.
So pray. Invite Him into your day. Ask Him to use you to touch someone’s life with His love. You may be surprised how wonderful it feels to be used by God, even in the smallest ways.
You are not disqualified because you fall. You are a work in progress—and God is faithful to finish what He started.
“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again…” (Proverbs 24:16, TLB)
And with God’s help, so will you.
