A Slight Imperfection

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13, BSB).

Saturday mornings are usually reserved for slowly soaking in the quiet moments of the day before embarking on whatever tasks I have planned. One morning a couple of weeks ago, I grabbed a brand-new mug from the hutch, and after filling it with coffee, I noticed a slight imperfection on the inside rim. Immediately, I thought, “Hmm. This is a brand-new mug, and it has an imperfection. I wonder if I should still use it?” After another pause, I realized that, despite the imperfection, it was still more than capable of performing the function for which it was created, which was to hold my coffee.

That’s how God sees us, too. He knows we are more than slightly imperfect people, yet He chooses to love us and use us for His purposes anyway. The problem comes in when we question our ability to be used by God instead of realizing He has a specific purpose for our lives despite the imperfections.

Often, we see ourselves, and others, from a humanly perspective rather than a heavenly one. Each of us was knit together in our mother’s womb and uniquely designed to carry out a specific purpose on Earth, which is to bring glory to God by using the gifts bestowed upon us by our Heavenly Father. Just as I questioned the functionality of the coffee mug once I recognized the blemish, there will always be people along our path that will question God’s ability to use us:

You aren’t smart enough. You aren’t pretty enough. Your past is marked by abuse. You were an orphan. You don’t have enough formal education. You’re an addict.

So many imperfections. But God.

Ironically, the mug I pulled from the hutch was marked by the popular and well-known verse Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Though this verse is sometimes taken out of context, after studying Paul’s writing in Philippians, I believe his intent with this verse was to remind readers that we are able to find contentment, courage, and joy in every situation because we are strengthened by Christ.

I want to encourage you today. The next time you feel called by God to something, don’t keep yourself from stepping out in faith. Instead, remember that we are uniquely designed and strengthened by Christ to fulfill God’s specific purpose for our lives.

My new mug was perfectly capable of performing the function for which it was created despite the slight imperfection. As children of God, how much more capable of fulfilling His purpose are we despite our own imperfections? I am prayerful we can all lean into this truth today, choose to go where He leads, and trust that Christ will strengthen us no matter what challenges we may face.

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