“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)

I’m in sales, and a couple of weeks ago I was working with a retail partner to set up a new display in their store.  While building the display one of my co-workers was getting a bit frustrated.  She said, “These screws were made wrong. They just don’t fit.”

I replied, “Don’t blame the screws. It’s not their fault they were made this way.”

As we got back trying to make everything fit, I started thinking about these screws and my own life.

Life can be very difficult, and so many things in this world, like people, relationships, jobs, or even churches make us feel like we should be perfect. But we’re not.

How often do I feel like I’m doing it wrong? That I’m the one who doesn’t fit? Am I broken?  Why am I the one that is never perfect?

The Good News is that absolutely none of this is true.  God loves you. God created you. And God gave you a purpose, which is made clear through Jesus. Even with your imperfections, God’s good work still works through you.

In what’s known as “The Great Commission”, Jesus is telling us to make disciples of all, and to teach them to obey and follow his teachings.   But it’s also important to understand what he is not telling us.

He is not telling us to be him.  He’s not telling us to be perfect. Yes, Jesus is perfect, and yes, he works with the imperfect us! I’ve made the mistake of confusing the two. There’s something about this world that makes us veer towards an unachievable idea of perfection, and stray from our purpose. 

I’ve fallen in the trap of trying to be the perfect dad, the perfect husband, the perfect manager, or even the perfect example of Jesus.  But what Jesus is asking is not perfection. He’s telling us to show, share, and teach what he showed, shared, and taught his disciples.  Love, kindness, compassion, and humility. 

Sometimes I might feel a little “screwy”, but I know where I fit and what my purpose is.  And Jesus is asking me to go out, share his word, and be an example of what a life with Jesus can mean to the people in my everyday places. I’m not yet perfect, but when I move according to Jesus’s purpose, I fit perfectly!

Thinking about those screws and setting up that display, I still don’t know what constitutes a “perfect” screw. But when I focused on what they were made for, they fit their purpose and the finished display looked beautiful.  I know I have a purpose, and every day Jesus invites me to live it with him, and with others. 

Are you striving to be someone else’s definition of perfect? Jesus has commissioned you to do great work! This week look for one place in your life where you can stop pursuing worldly perfection and ask Jesus to use you as a perfect fit for his work in this world.