Willingness Over Perfection

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.

1 Peter 4:10

When I first got my little red truck, I wished I hadn’t. It was small, dinged-up and had a bullet hole—not exactly the dream vehicle for a teenager trying to fit in.

At first, I was embarrassed. People would make jokes about it, and I would laugh along while secretly wishing for something a little nicer.

Then one day, my friend needed a ride to church. I hesitated, but I said yes. Then another friend needed a lift. Then someone else. Before long, my vehicle was packed with people, week after week, headed to a place where they could hear about Jesus.

The more I used it to help others, the less I cared about its dents and scratches. They did not define its worth, just like my own imperfections did not define mine. What I once saw as embarrassing became one of the greatest tools God had ever given me.

How often do we do that? How often do we look at what we have—our time, our resources, our gifts—and decide they aren’t good enough? We assume we need something bigger, better, or more polished before God can work through us. But that is never how He operates.

God doesn’t ask for perfection. He asks for willingness.

Maybe you have been holding back, waiting for something better before you step out. But what if what you have right now is exactly what God wants to use? What if the little, ordinary, unimpressive thing in your hands is the key to something bigger than you imagined?

Because in God’s hands, nothing is too small to make a difference.