Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you can never get your act together? The minute you feel like you have everything under control, something comes crashing down again?

If so, you’re not alone.

God doesn’t even expect us to have it all together. According to Jared Wilson, God is specifically looking for people who can’t get their act together. He knows we are imperfect and has already made the choice to work with our imperfection.

“Isn’t just the notion refreshing? What’s helpful is to go back to the Word and see these straight forward proclamations of grace in the Epistles.”

Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of God’s abundant grace. We are also reminded that we don’t need to be perfect. For instance, Jared urges us to look at the example of the disciples who were equally unqualified as many of us feel we are.

“When you look at the disciples, is there any sense in which Jesus is calling the cream of the crop? It’s not like He showed up and said, ‘alright, where is the seminary.’ He called these guys who for three years were seemingly always four steps behind Jesus. They never quite understood what He was saying, they just didn’t get it.”

Despite the fact that they didn’t understand a lot about Jesus, they were still His beloved disciples. Jared says what’s important is that we are willing to admit our true standing before God.

“There are some who in their pride and arrogance turn away from Him, and there’s others in their meekness and humility who are willing to own up to the fact that they don’t get it. You never see Jesus washing His hands; He never gives up on them. He never seems surprised by their incompetence. He’s God, so He has infinite patience and an infinite grace.”

God is ready and waiting to extend this infinite patience and grace to us as we admit our desperate need for Him.


Jared C. Wilson is the director of content strategy for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and managing editor of For the Church, Midwestern’s new site for gospel-centered resources. He is the author of several books, including Your Jesus Is Too SafeThe Storytelling God,, and  .

Grace for people who can't get their act together with Jared Wilson