#434: Will God Use Me Even If I’m Not Perfect?

“I am just not good enough for God to use me!”

It is a refrain I’ve heard from believers who question God’s call on their lives. And to be honest, it’s something I’ve thought of myself on more than one occasion.

I suspect most of us have felt we were not good enough; we were too stained by the sin in our lives to deserve God’s blessing or to be used by God.

The fact is that it is just not true. God uses imperfect people all the time. God doesn’t look at the past sins in my life or yours and say He could never use a sinner like us.

If you need proof that God uses imperfect sinners, look at the men and women God calls out in the hall of faith, Hebrews 11.

Abraham

Sure, we know Abraham is the father of the nation of Israel. But he wasn’t perfect. Abraham wasn’t exactly a tower of strength in the way he treated Hagar. He didn’t demonstrate great faith in God when he ran away to Egypt to avoid a famine or when he told lies about his relationship with Sarah, his wife.

Abraham was somewhat cowardly, deceitful, and distrustful. Still, God used Abraham anyway!

Jacob

We know Jacob as the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. But he was far from perfect. Jacob was selfish in refusing to share food with his brother, Esau, without a bargain. He followed his mother’s plan to steal his brother’s birthright.

Jacob was selfish, deceitful, and even used the name of the Lord to further his deceitful plans, yet God used him anyway!

Moses

By faith, Moses gave up his life in the palace to live with his people. He led the people out of slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. But he wasn’t perfect. Moses murdered an Egyptian and buried him in the sand. To secure water for the people, Moses disobeyed God’s explicit instruction to speak to the rock and, in anger, struck the rock instead.

Moses was a long way from perfect. He was a reluctant leader prone to fits of anger, but God used him anyway.

Rahab

Rahab was a gentile prostitute. Despite her lifestyle, God used Rahab to protect Joshua’s spies. Rahab married one of the spies she sheltered and became the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth, the grandmother of David, the lineage through which Jesus was born.

Gideon, Sampson, & David

Other examples of imperfect men who are mentioned in Hebrews 11 include Gideon, Sampson, and David.

Gideon was reluctant to follow God’s call and tested God before he obeyed.

Sampson had numerous moral failures with gentile women.

David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranged to have her husband killed in battle.

So, Gideon, Sampson, and David were imperfect sinners, yet God used them in mighty ways!

In this group, there are selfish liars, men with anger issues, men with weak morals, and a prostitute. All these men and women called out in the hall of faith of Hebrews 11 were imperfect in some way, yet God used them all.

God doesn’t see your past as a barrier to how He can use you in the future! When calling us to serve, God doesn’t call us based on who we were but who we could be!

Faith is the Key, Not Perfection

Every person called out as a man or woman of God in Hebrews 11 has one trait in common; they all have great faith.

• “By faith Abraham” (Heb. 11:8, 9, 11, 17).
• “By faith Jacob” (Heb. 11:21).
• “By faith Moses” (Heb. 11:23, 24, 27, 28, 29).
• “By faith Rahab” (Heb. 11:31).
• “Through faith Gideon, Sampson, David” (Heb. 11:32).

It isn’t the sin in our past that prevents God from using us.  What matters is whether we submit to God in faith as we put our trust in Him, knowing that whomever God calls, He equips.

More Articles

I have written many articles on our dependence on God. You can find them by typing “Dependence on God” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are several of my favorites.

• #421: Have You Ever Felt Hopelessly Lost Following God?
• #415: Do You Want to Live A Life of Impact and Purpose?
• #385: Is the Path You Are on the Right One?
• #365: Do You Lead Like an Owner or A Steward?
• #345: Disobedience to God Always Leads to Lost Opportunities

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you ever felt unprepared, inadequate, or unworthy to be used by God?

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Category: Personal Development | Dependence on God