Do you want to be used by God, but think that you are too flawed for God to use you? Though out human history God works through flawed people. That gives us hope that He will also use us. The Lord knows our weakness and frailties, yet He has a plan for each of us to build up His Kingdom
Example 1 of a Flawed Person Used by God
Jacobwas the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. Like his Isaac and Grandfather Abraham, he was flawed, yet the Lord used him to carry out His plan for the coming of the Savior. Jacob deceived his father Isaac and stole his blessing as a young man. His brother, Esau, was so angry that Jacob had to flee for his life and stayed away from his home for many years. Over those years in exile Jacob was refined by the Lord and became a person of deep faith who depended on the Lord.
Example 2 of Flawed Person used by God
When Peter was being called to be a disciple, he told Jesus he did not think he was qualified.
Luke 5:8When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”…10 Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. [1] Peter would go onto be a leader in the early church and die a martyr’s death.
God Still uses Flawed People
The truth is God works through flawed people every day to build up His Kingdom. It is flawed people who carry out His plan on this earth. He is using me to write this devotion. The Lord also wants to use you! God has gifted you with special gifts and placed you on this earth at this time to make a difference in the world.
The Bible uses the imagery of gold being refined as a picture of what God does in our lives. Gold, when extracted from the earth, does not look like gold we find in a jewelry store. In fact, it is not always recognizable due to the impurities that mar its appearance. Yet, for the person searching for it, the ugliest lump of gold is of great value, and the potential for beauty is evident.
We, as people are like those lumps of unrefined gold. The sacrifice of God’s Son to reconcile us back to relationship with God shows just how much He values us, even while we are lost and separated from him. God sees us not as full of impurity, but full of potential. He, in the refining imagery, is the refiner and we are the lump of unrefined gold, flawed but full of potential beauty.
God Wants to Use You
God works through flawed people and is willing to take you as a flawed person and refine you to reflect His image to the world. This is a process, but He will give you a life far beyond what you can imagine. What He did for Jacob and Peter, He can do for you.
To hear more about how God used a flawed Isaac, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-isaac
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 5:10–11). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.