I am not a perfect servant. I am a public servant doing my best

Hear the voice of Jesse Jackson, who walked the path of struggle and service, declaring with humility and hope: “I am not a perfect servant. I am a public servant doing my best against the odds. As I develop and serve, be patient. God is not finished with me yet.” These words are not cloaked in the pride of triumph, but in the humility of one who knows the weight of imperfection. In them lies the timeless truth that no leader, no servant, no human being is complete. We are all works in progress, being shaped by trial, guided by faith, and tempered by time.

The origin of these words is the crucible of Jackson’s own life. Born into hardship, rising to prominence in the long march for civil rights, he learned that to serve the people is to walk daily against the winds of resistance. As a public servant, he stood not as one flawless, but as one striving, stumbling, rising again, and pressing forward. In this, his confession becomes heroic: greatness is not perfection, but the refusal to abandon service even when the task is overwhelming.

The ancients, too, saw this truth. Moses, called to lead his people from bondage, was not perfect—he doubted, he faltered, he struck the rock in anger. Yet still he was chosen, and still he served. David, beloved king of Israel, was not without grievous error, yet he continued to seek after God’s heart. Their imperfection did not disqualify their service; rather, their persistence, their willingness to be shaped, made their service holy. Jackson’s words echo this ancient song: “God is not finished with me yet.”

Consider also the story of Abraham Lincoln. He entered office ridiculed for his awkwardness, doubted by his peers, scorned by his enemies. He made mistakes, bore heavy criticism, and often felt himself inadequate to the great burden of civil war. Yet through perseverance and faith, he grew into one of history’s greatest leaders. He was not born perfect; he became great by service, by patience, and by the shaping hand of time. Here is Jesse Jackson’s truth made flesh: the servant develops as he serves, and the people must give him space to grow.

The meaning of Jackson’s words is twofold: first, a reminder to the servant himself to embrace humility, and second, a reminder to the people to embrace patience. No leader arrives fully formed. Every servant of the public is tested by errors, failures, and trials. Yet if the servant remains faithful to the calling, if he continues to give his best against the odds, then his imperfections become the soil in which growth blossoms. The people, too, must resist the urge to demand flawlessness, lest they crush the very ones who labor for them.

What lesson, then, must we take into our own lives? It is this: acknowledge that you, too, are not finished. In family, in work, in service to community, do not despair over imperfection. You are being shaped, as Jackson proclaimed, by the unseen hand of God and by the lessons of hardship. Do your best, even if small, and let your failures become teachers, not chains. For the one who accepts his imperfection and yet serves is greater than the one who seeks only to appear perfect and never serves at all.

Therefore, let your actions be thus: when you lead, lead with honesty, confessing your limits but offering your heart. When you follow, be patient with those who serve, for they carry burdens heavier than you see. And above all, remember this enduring truth: God is not finished with you yet. You are still being written, still being refined, still being made into the servant you are called to be. Walk forward, then, with courage and humility, for in patience and perseverance, your service will become the legacy that outlives you.