When I was in high school, I remember reading 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ,” and thinking it was an impossible task to carry out. How could I be perfect as Jesus is perfect? There’s no way! So, I dismissed it for years, thinking I would never measure up.

Then something changed. Fifteen years later, God redeemed that verse through the words of a high school freshman. As a student minister at the time, I was facilitating a Bible study with some of my students. I have no idea what the question was, but one of the girls started talking about how she wanted to serve in student ministry when she got older. Her exact words were, “I want to be a youth leader like Miss Kayla.” Obviously, I was flattered and encouraged, but in that moment, the Holy Spirit immediately brought 1 Corinthians 11:1 to my mind. He said, “Look, you’re doing it. You’re imitating me, and now others are imitating you because of your faithful obedience.” 

I left Bible study that night feeling so inspired because of that sweet encounter with Jesus. He reminded me that He is always present and always working, even when I don’t see it, and even through Scripture that I discarded long ago. 

Through years of reading and studying Scripture, we see that God uses people who are messy, imperfect, and broken to accomplish His mission. Paul, the author of 1 Corinthians, would be the first to tell you that he wasn’t perfect. But God chose him to play an instrumental role in the early church and to author many books of the New Testament. Paul was not perfect, but he was faithful, obedient, and passionate about Jesus. The older I get, the more I understand and relate to him. He was walking as closely with Jesus as he could, and inviting other people to follow him. That’s what he meant when he said, “Imitate me as I also imitate Christ.”

God’s Word is living and active, and He showed me that I don't have to fulfill that directive through my own strength. By surrendering to His plan, trusting His guidance, and walking with Him, He leads the way. With that perspective change, the pressure is off. If we surrender daily to Jesus and walk in step with the Holy Spirit, there’s no limit to the ways He can use us to impact His Kingdom.

This revelation led Kayla to start 11one Ministries. Her mission is to help people discover their God-given identity and purpose, encourage them to love and follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and invite others to do the same. Kayla believes that God uses imperfect people to achieve His mission, and through 11one Ministries, she aims to inspire others to embrace this truth and live out their faith fully.