If you feel like you’re falling short, messing up, or having trouble getting started - congratulations, you’re just like everyone else out there. In a society that rewards the persona of perfection and having it all together, it’s easy to believe that you’re alone in your struggles.

Regardless of where you’re at, it’s never about being perfect, but rather realizing that you’re not perfect and it’s okay to mess up. Obviously the first goal is to ‘mess up’ less, but even more important is to bounce back as soon as you can when you do feel like you mess up. God’s okay with you messing up from time to time. That’s how you realize how much you need Him. But God doesn’t want you to stay in that guilt, shame, or feeling of inadequacy.

I’ve found the better I understand God’s word and seek Him for my strength, the less time I spend It’s time to get back on track, and there’s no better place than through God’s word. Here are 4 (of many verses) I've used to be encouraged and get back on track:

1 Corinthians 9:24 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize

Perfection is a lie, but excellence is a standard that you’re called to live up to. Whatever you’re working towards, don’t settle for average when you’ve been called to win.

Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters

At the end of the day, the actions you take are to honor God above other people or your own desires. Stay strong knowing that God is more concerned with your heart than your results.

Galatians 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up

You may seem like you’ve been at it for a long time, but you continue to wonder when your breakthrough is coming. Out of obedience continue to keep doing good, keep sowing good seeds, and in faith know that you’re harvest is coming.

Proverbs 24:16 - for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

Setbacks will happen, failures are normal, but the only requirement is to keep getting back up each time. Every time you fall down and get back up gives you new strength, wisdom, and experience to build on.