Today I saw an old beat up mallet and weirdly enough, it reminded me of us as believers. The stained wooden handle was dented and covered in scratches, while the rubber head had knicks from every angle. As I looked at this used tool, I realized it was still just that – a tool.
As Christians we think that we must be perfect to be effectively used in the Kingdom of God, but God did not call us to be perfect. Just as this mallet with all of its damages could still powerfully be used, in our imperfections, we can too.
This then made me think of Paul and his past. Before miraculously coming to Christ, he zealously persecuted and killed Christians. Most of us would immediately write him off as someone God would never use, but God saw through to his heart and knew that he could be a mighty vessel for His kingdom.
Exodus chapter 4 also came to my mind, when the Lord is speaking to Moses and Moses immediately looks at himself and decides he cannot be a witness for God because he was slow and not eloquent in his speech. God then asked him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11 NKJV)
Our Heavenly Father created us; He knows our strengths and our weaknesses better than we know them ourselves. Which means He knows where to place us in the Body of Christ where we will be the most effective in edifying each other and reaching the lost.
What giftings are in you that God wants to pull out, despite your mistakes or sin, to glorify Him and bring more people into His kingdom?
