The Power of Botox
If you were to open my closet in my bathroom you’d notice lots of “stuff.”
GoPure is the latest . . . guaranteed to minimalize neck wrinkles.
There are tons of other products out there, and I doubt seriously I’m the only one who has a few products for our skin. Not just so we can nourish it and take care of it, but so that we can try to slow down the visual signs of aging.
Recently someone asked me if I’d be interested in Botox. Certainly am not opposed to it, but as I found myself engaging in the conversation with her about it, I gave voice to the fact that while yes, I’d love some help minimizing signs of aging, I don’t want to look fake. You’ve seen the Hollywood stars – people who’ve had so much “assistance” they no longer look like themselves.
We live in a culture obsessed with perfection. Perfect selfies, perfect houses, perfect careers. But deep down, we know it’s all an illusion. None of us are perfect. And here’s the surprising thing: that’s exactly where our potential lies.
Brianna Wiest, in The Mountain Is You, reminds us that growth doesn’t come from being flawless. It comes from being willing to confront what isn’t working and embrace the messiness of transformation. She writes, “Your imperfections are not your enemies; they are your entry points to becoming.”
Entry points to becoming.
Powerful statement!
Think about it. The parts of you that you wish you could hide—your weaknesses, your failures, your cracks—are actually the spaces where powerful work can begin.
The Apostle Paul understood this. He prayed for God to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” but God responded with an unexpected answer: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Notice what God didn’t say. He didn’t say, “Once you fix this, I’ll work through you.” He didn’t say, “Try harder, and then you’ll be worthy.” No, God said God’s power works best through Paul’s weakness.
Our imperfections are not obstacles to God’s plan; they’re opportunities for God to show up in ways we could never imagine. We just have to be willing to do the work for that to happen.
Let’s think about it practically. If you already had everything figured out, where would the room be for growth?
If you never struggled, how would you discover resilience?
If you never failed, how would you learn to rise again?
Imperfection means there’s space for transformation. It means you’re not finished yet, and that’s where hope lives—in the potential of what could be.
The Japanese art of kintsugi repairs broken pottery by filling the cracks with gold. The result isn’t a piece that looks like it was never broken—it’s a piece that’s more beautiful because it was broken.
We are kintsugi in God’s hands. Our imperfections, our cracks, are where God pours God’s grace. They’re where God’s power shines.
What if you stopped striving for perfection and started seeing your imperfections as places where God is working? What if you embraced the idea that you don’t have to have it all together to be a powerful force of Love in this world?
Prayer
God, thank You for reminding me that my imperfections are not barriers but invitations for Your grace. Help me to see my weaknesses as places where Your power can shine. Give me the courage to embrace my flaws and trust You to use them for something beautiful. Amen.
Action Step
Take a moment today to write down one area where you feel imperfect or weak.
Then, beside it, write one way God might be using that imperfection to grow you or help others. Reflect on how God’s grace fills the cracks in your life.
Closing Thought
You don’t have to be perfect to have potential. In fact, it’s your imperfections that create the space for God to work. Like kintsugi, you are more beautiful because of the cracks. Allow them to be filled with God’s transformational work and note the powerful force you become. It IS possible.
And – wrinkles and gray hair, signs of a life fully lived. (Even though I will continue to try to minimize them).