Invite God to shine through all the cracks and faults, recreating you before the eyes of others. Live out loud. And share what God has done. Share the test, not just the testimony.
Not many of us need to be reminded that we are imperfect. From the time we wake up, chasing away our raw and often grumpy humanity with coffee or exercise, to the time we lie down with unfinished tasks or unarticulated aches, we are constantly reminded of our shortcomings.
But what if the reality of our humanity is not a hurdle God seeks to overcome, but the rich soil in which grows the fruit and testimony of our lives?
Jesus said that “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open” (Luke 8:16-17, NIV).
Peter demonstrated this with his life. He was a leader in the church after Jesus’ ascension, yet he did not seek to scrub away his humanity or failures from the retelling of the Gospel stories. He could have sanitized things, making himself look better. But he did not hide his mistakes. Rather, Peter left his messiness encoded in history so that we could all see it and be encouraged.
I believe God wants to use each of us in the same way. It is hard to live in the light. Our blemishes, imperfections, mistakes, and messes will be visible to all. It is much easier to keep the door closed or keep the light off. But then how will those who encounter us see the light, so to speak, as Jesus said?
Jesus wants us to keep the light on. He even promises to do it if we won’t. But there is great benefit in living visibly before others. If they don’t know the crisis, they won’t appreciate the miracle. If they don’t know how far you’ve come, they won’t be able to recognize the growth. And if you don’t let them see you “in process,” they will feel isolated in their own process.
It is our mess—and the work of God in the middle of it—that is a testimony to the world.
It is our mess—and the work of God in the middle of it—that is a testimony to the world.
The work of God is often most clear when illuminated against the backdrop of our humanity. When we can’t hide ourselves, it becomes obvious what is God’s miracle in our lives and what is just us trying harder. God receives the most glory when we are real.
2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV) says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” Later, Paul reminds us that God’s strength is made perfect, or finds its full completion and manifestation, in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Don’t wait until the mess is cleaned up to let God use you. He doesn’t require that of you, no matter what others or the enemy may tell you. Instead, invite God to shine through all the cracks and faults, recreating you before the eyes of others. Live out loud. And share what God has done. Share the test, not just the testimony.
Revelation 12:10-11 (NIV) says,
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
‘Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.’”
Your testimony, what heaven has done and what God has taught you, is one of the most powerful things about you. If you hide the mess, you lose that. Which means others will lose the benefit of it as well. Each of us is a missionary to this world. Jesus sends us out to make disciples—not when we have finally arrived as fully formed, mature, spiritual superstars. But just as we are, right now, mess and all. Jesus wants us to open our hearts and lives to others. It is risky, but that is where faith and the work of the Spirit come in. It is easy to ignore the mess when no one sees it. But just as I am more likely to clean my house when people are coming over, we are more compelled to deal with our “stuff” when it is out in the open. In this way, allowing God to use us in our mess is a strategy that benefits both us and others.
As a disciple-maker, I believe that God asks us to share what heaven has done in our lives—no more and no less. This is how we disciple one another, spurring each other on toward good things. We don’t need to be perfect; we just need to be faithful.
As we are exhorted in Hebrews 10:22-24 (NIV), “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds . . .”
God wants you, mess and all. In fact, He would not have it any other way.
Author Info
Jessie Cruickshank
Jessie Cruickshank holds an M.Ed. from Harvard in mind, brain, and education. She is a neuro-ecclesiologist and a nationally recognized expert in disciple-making and the neuroscience of transformation. She has spent two decades applying neuroeducation research to discipleship, ministry training, experiential education, and organization development. Jessie is respected globally as a leader in missiological thought and a church and denominational consultant and is the founder of [Who]ology. Jessie’s newest book, Ordinary Discipleship, will release on May 9, 2023 from NavPress. She lives and adventures with her family in Colorado.