Have you ever felt embarrassed to come to God with vulnerability? Or maybe you find yourself trying to reach a certain point to be “good enough” to lead a group of people for Christ. Maybe sometimes you feel too “dirty” to talk with Jesus in prayer. Here’s the good news, these feelings are not facts. Especially when it comes to God. We cannot comprehend the deep love that God has for us. The truth you need to remind yourself of is: God LOVES vulnerability. Its in our weakness He is able to reveal His strength. “Each time He said “My grace is all that you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
Your sin does not shock God. When we fall short, and we will, time after time- His Grace covers it! He knows we’re not capable of being perfect. If we were, there would be no need to have a savior. God doesn’t want perfection, He wants us to be willing. God loves to use imperfect people- there is evidence though out the entire Bible. There is no standard we have to reach before being used by God- except for being a broken, willing vessel. A quote a close friend of mine Olivia repeats often is “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.” I can’t count how many times this quote has taken the pressure off of me.
Something the Lord has revealed to me is that I put a lot of pressure on myself. I long to give God the best version of myself. The perfect, clean, sinless version. I want to be spotless before approaching Him so that I can feel good enough for Him to listen or want me as His servant. But because I’m not a perfect person, these standards actually keep me from praying, worshipping intentionally and even reading the Bible. God has recently revealed to me that me being vulnerable when approaching Him is actually a super power…. Because it’s rooted in humility it gives me more room for growth and more willingness for Gods loving direction. I believed for a long tome I could not walk in the calling God has on my life because I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t read the Bible enough, I didn’t have a theology degree or anything official like that. But the truth is, God gives us all a call for our lives weather we think we are capable or not. He isn’t the one putting pressure on us to be perfect- we are. We have to realize, we live in Gods grace. We live in such a place of love from the father that we can mess up and be given another chance, time after time. The Lord looks at our heart posture and sees through any facade that we put on to try and feel worthy.
God created you to be in a vulnerable, intimate relationship with Him. He loves you with no conditions. The love that God has for us is incomprehensible. It sounds too good to be true- but we are shown over and over, through out all of scripture that His gracious love always wins. You don’t have to be spotless or “feel put together” to approach God. He longs for the messy, embarrassed, sinful version of you. There are no conditions you have to meet before you start walking in your calling except for a humble, willing heart, ready to follow in the Lords path. So, take the pressure off- approach God humbly and watch His love surpass all of your understanding.
Prayer:
“Dear Jesus, thank you for your unfailing grace and kindness. Thank you for giving us many chances that we don’t deserve. Thank you for never putting pressure on us. Thank you for always loving unconditionally- agape love. Help us realize that we put too much pressure on ourselves. Remind us that you don’t seek perfection from us. Keep us humble and close to you. Amen.”
Reflection question:
Do you put standards and pressure on yourself? How do you think things could shift in your walk with God if you if you approach it with willingness and humility?
Verses:
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
1 John 1:9 (NLT)
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
Lamentations 3:22–23 (NLT)
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”
Romans 8:1 (NLT)
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT)
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.”
James 4:6 (NLT)
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Definitions:
Calling: the unique purpose and assignment God places on a person’s life. It is not earned through perfection, education, or qualification — it is given by God and fulfilled through willingness and obedience.
Spiritual weakness: the recognition of our human limitations, struggles, and need for God. Rather than disqualifying us, weakness creates space for God’s strength and power to be revealed in our lives.
Willing vessel: a person who offers themselves to God despite imperfections. It describes someone who may feel broken or unqualified but is open and obedient to being used by Him.
