Do you strive for perfection? Feel like you have to work for acceptance? Do you doubt that God loves you as you are? Have you thought that people like us are never enough? Do these questions occasionally cross your mind? If not, that’s amazing. For the rest of us, I have a secret to share. Come closer. You ready? Great. Jesus came for people like us. Yes, He was born, died, and rose from the dead for people like you and me. How do I know? There’s a great cloud of witnesses who followed God, and they were people like us:
Moses ~ a murderer and a deliverer
David ~ an adulterer, murderer, king and a man after God’s own heart
Peter ~ a fisherman, denier, water walker, and the cornerstone of the Church
Paul ~ Christian persecutor and writer of most of the New Testament; an apostle of God
As you can see and read, none of these people were perfect. They were all flawed. However, their imperfections didn’t stop them from fulfilling God’s plan. With God’s help, they worked through challenges and saved many. They overcame adversity within themselves and reflected God in their various experiences.
What can we learn from these individuals? First, our past doesn’t disqualify us from the call of God on our lives. Despite our history, there’s still work for us to do. Second, the purpose God gave us remains our assignment. God doesn’t change His mind based on our actions. He’s never double-minded. No matter where we go, His plan will manifest one way or another. Unfortunately, we can limit our impact out of fear. For instance, God called us to the world, but we’re afraid to leave our neighborhoods. So, we encourage our neighbors and co-workers. Of course, nothing’s wrong with this. We simply don’t reach the hope of His calling for us. In addition, we’re unable to share the fullness of our gift with others. Admittedly, that’s tragic because someone’s waiting for what only we can offer.
