This week my sister-in-law came to visit, and what a gift it was. When you live alone, there's something especially comforting about sharing your home with another single woman. Add a shared faith and similar values, and the conversations naturally drift into matters of the heart.
One topic kept resurfacing: despite all our years of walking with the Lord, we're both still works in progress. You would think that by now we'd have life figured out, but God is still shaping, stretching, and refining us.
The Bible never pretends we're perfect. Romans 3:23 reminds us, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Yet that isn't the end of the story. God doesn't reject us because of our imperfections. Instead, He meets us with grace, patiently transforming us into the likeness of Christ.
Every sincere believer knows that beneath the polished exterior is a heart that still needs a Savior every single day. That's why 2 Corinthians 12:9 brings such hope: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Our weaknesses become the very place where God's strength shines brightest.
Growing in Christ isn't a one-time event—it's a lifelong journey of surrender. Three practices help keep us moving forward:
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Be honest with God. Confess your failures without hiding behind excuses. "Repent... that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" (Acts 3:19).
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Depend on the Holy Spirit. Lasting change isn't fueled by determination alone. "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
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Stay connected to God. Time in His Word, prayer, and worship allows Him to shape our hearts. "All Scripture is God-breathed... so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Zach Williams and Crowder capture this journey so well: "He's working on me still. Changing me piece by piece still. Making me better...doing His thing. I'm a sinner saved by grace, and I need more every day."
The wonderful news is this: God never gives up on His children. If you're still struggling, still learning, and still growing, don't be discouraged. Every challenge is another brushstroke in the hands of the Master Artist. He sees the finished masterpiece, even when all we see are unfinished edges.
Keep trusting Him. Keep walking with Him. He's still working on you—and that's one of the greatest promises of all.
Closing Thought God doesn't expect perfection; He desires a willing heart. Every day you surrender to Him is another day He continues His beautiful work within you.
"Father, thank You for loving us just as we are, but loving us too much to leave us there. Help us to surrender our weaknesses to You each day and trust that You are shaping us into the people You created us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen."
