Stop Waiting to Be "Perfect" Before You Follow God
The Unexpected Email and the Search for Real Meaning
Have you ever laid awake at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering why on earth you are here?
Most of us have been there. We hustle through school, chase down jobs, and try to build a life, but inside, a quiet voice keeps asking: What is the actual point of all this?
That exact question is what brought podcast host David Mansilla and Dr. Dwight Robertson together. Their connection started in a way only God could arrange. David had sent an email that ended up buried deep inside Dwight’s spam folder. Dwight almost never checked that folder—why would he? But one day, while skimming through hundreds of junk messages, one name seemed to practically jump off the screen. Dwight felt a sudden, unmistakable nudge from God telling him to stop and open it. He wrote back a simple note of encouragement, prayed for David, and an incredible, deep friendship was born.
Meet Our Guest: Dr. Dwight Robertson
Dwight Robertson serves as the Founding CEO of Forge. In 1986, he responded to God’s call to travel by faith as an itinerant preacher, produce real-world equipping programs, and provide hands-on spiritual development resources for emerging Kingdom Laborers. Dwight has authored a number of books and speaks regularly for a variety of events, helping people discover God’s unique and distinct design for them to daily love God and others in practical and transformational ways. Through his life and ministry, God has shaped innumerable lives into world-changers. Dwight and his wife, Dawn, live in Denver and have two married children and a growing number of grandchildren.
Driven by a Deep Hunger for Purpose
Long before he was leading a global ministry, Dwight was just a teenager in Colorado, desperate for answers about his life’s purpose. He tried looking at the world around him, but the culture wasn't offering anything that truly satisfied his heart.
Everything changed when someone handed him a simple paperback New Testament and told him to read the Gospel of John. When his eyes landed on John 10:10—where Jesus promises a life full of meaning and purpose—the words seared themselves straight into his soul. He realized right then that Jesus wasn't just a figure in a history textbook. Jesus was the hero he had been searching for all along.
If you are sitting in the dark right now asking God what your life is supposed to mean, know this: your search isn't a mistake. Jesus is standing right there, ready to give you the very purpose your heart is crying out for.
Jumping into the Deep End at 15
What would you do if God asked you to step completely out of your comfort zone before you even had a driver's license?
When Dwight was just 15 years old, he got an opportunity to travel to another country by himself to serve others for the summer. He had no degree, no grand strategy, and no real idea what he was doing. At the airport gate, his dad shook his hand and gave him advice that would shape the rest of his life: “Whenever God is in it, you need to know it’s doable because God makes impossible things possible.”
Dwight boarded that plane terrified, constantly praying, "Jesus, help me!" But during that summer, something miraculous happened. Through simple tasks—washing dishes, fixing things, and sharing simple kindness—Jesus used a 15-year-old kid to leave a lasting mark on people’s lives.
Watching Jesus Up Close
While reading through the Gospels, Dwight began to feel a strange kind of jealousy. He envied the original disciples who got to sit at dinner tables with Jesus, ride in boats with Him, and watch Him work up close.
Then, God whispered a life-changing truth to his heart: Jesus isn't done.
He isn't just a memory from two thousand years ago; He is alive and active right now. Dwight began waking up every single morning with a brand-new prayer: "Jesus, what are we up to today?"
Jesus spent 72% of His ministry outside the walls of religious buildings, hanging out with everyday people in their everyday struggles. He didn't just teach crowd-pleasing sermons; He stopped for the lonely, held children, and sat down with people whom everyone else ignored. That summer, Dwight learned that living for Christ isn't about standing on a stage. It’s about doing daily life with Jesus, right where you are.
The Business of Laborership (Not Just Leadership)
We live in a world that is completely obsessed with titles, power, and big corporate leadership. We want to be the boss, the CEO, or the influencer with millions of followers. But Jesus flipped all of that upside down.
Jesus didn't look for elite scholars or powerful politicians to change the world. He chose twelve ordinary, messy, everyday people—fishermen, tax collectors, and small business owners. He didn't build a corporate hierarchy; He modeled Laborership.
Redefining the Work
The word "laborership" isn't even in standard dictionaries—Dwight’s team actually had to trademark it! While the world teaches us to climb to the top so others can serve us, Jesus showed us how to bend down and wash feet. He reminded us in Matthew 9 that the harvest is huge and ready, but the laborers are few.
The Power of "The One"
It is so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our faith only matters if we are doing something massive. David shared on the podcast how he once struggled with pride, constantly trying to grow his platform bigger and bigger. But his pastor gave him a piece of advice that changed his heart forever: "If in 20 years of ministry you lead ONE soul to the feet of Jesus, that is infinitely valuable to Him."
Jesus proved this time and time again. He stopped His whole day just to have a conversation with a woman at a well. He went out of His way to eat dinner with Matthew, a hated tax collector. When you focus on loving the single person right in front of you—your barista, your classmate, your coworker—you are stepping directly into the work of God.
Faith in the Real World: Beyond Church Walls
It’s easy to look holy on a Sunday morning when the music is playing and everyone is nicely dressed. But what happens on Monday morning? What happens when you're stuck in traffic, dealing with a difficult boss, or sitting in a doctor's waiting room?
When Dwight was in college, he suddenly faced a life-threatening blood disorder. It was terrifying. Doctors at top clinics couldn't figure out why his body was failing, and they eventually told him to rely on his faith.
During that dark season, God opened doors for Dwight to work in a holistic medical clinic and take on retail jobs just to pay his medical bills. It was during those regular, exhausting workdays that God showed him something profound: The mission field isn't just overseas or inside a church—it is everywhere.
Living as "God with Us"
Dwight started joining local civic groups, sitting on community boards, and having simple lunches with ordinary folks. He realized that 78% of Jesus’ time was spent out in the public square, showing people what the love of God actually looks like in real time.
You don't need a theology degree or a microphone to change a life.
You just need to see people who feel invisible.
You need to stop when someone is hurting.
You need to spend time listening to their story.
You need to share the hope that keeps you going.
Dwight shared a story about an 80-year-old pastor who came to faith 56 years ago. Back then, he was a teenager traveling with friends, sitting in a restaurant, high on drugs. He noticed a group of Christians at another table laughing with genuine, overflowing joy. He literally passed them a note asking, "What drug are you guys on?" They wrote back one word: Jesus. That simple moment of real joy in an everyday restaurant transformed his life forever.
Hearts on Fire, Lives on Purpose
What is stopping you right now from stepping into the incredible life God has for you?
Maybe you think you’ve messed up too much. Maybe you think your past is too messy, or that you aren't "spiritual" enough to be used by God.
If that’s how you feel, take a deep breath. Dwight himself was nicknamed "Dwight the Fright" growing up because he was such a wild, chaotic kid. Even the apostle Peter—the man Jesus built His church upon—chopped off a guy's ear and publicly denied Jesus three times. Yet Jesus never gave up on him. He restored Peter, brushed the dirt off his shoulders, and told him to keep walking.
"If you are waiting to live this life until you are more perfect, you’re going to wait yourself out of earthly opportunity." — Dr. Dwight Robertson
Grace for the Broken
On the podcast, Dwight recalled talking with a heroin addict who was only five days sober. The man wept, asking, "Can God really use someone like me?" Dwight looked him in the eye and said, "You aren't the answer—Jesus is! Just point people to the One who helped you stay sober for five days."
God doesn't call perfect people. He calls broken, real people who are willing to be honest about their need for Him. When you spend time in Jesus' presence, His love burns away fear and replaces it with real joy.
As Forge celebrates 40 years of training everyday people to live out their faith, the invitation is open to you, too. You don't have to live a bored, directionless, or empty life. You can wake up tomorrow morning, look up at heaven, and ask the question that changes everything:
"Jesus, what are we up to today?
Author: Jovilyn Abella
At ISU Corp, we specialize in custom software development and Ai integration, helping enterprises streamline operations and drive innovation. Trusted by industry leaders, we deliver scalable, high-performing solutions tailored to your business needs.
Explore how we can help: Learn More at ISUCorp.ca
“If you are waiting to live this life until you are more perfect, you’re going to wait yourself out of earthly opportunity. Because the only time we’re going to be perfect is when we see Him face to face in all His glory... Pointing to Jesus is something that the youngest child can do, the worst sinner can do. You’re not the answer—He’s the answer.”
