God Uses Imperfect People

God Uses Imperfect People

I was sharing with the guys this morning about some of the people God used in the earthy lineage of Jesus. We were looking at Matthew 1:1-16. This is by no means exhaustive, but here are some highlights from some of the people.

Abraham and Sarah – 1:2 – is noted in the Bible as a man of righteousness and great faith, yet twice he passed his wife off as his sister because he was afraid of the king in the area where they were going. God can still use people who are imperfect.

Isaac and Rebecca – 1:2 – Isaac loved Rebecca from the moment he first saw her, but when Jacob and Esau were born, Isaac favored Esau while Rebecca favored Jacob. That must have caused some degree of disharmony in their home. Jacob’s deception and conniving in stealing his brother’s inheritance and blessing only complicate the picture even more. God can still use people who are imperfect.

Judah, one of Isaac’s twelve sons and Tamar – 1:3 – Judah went in to a prostitute in his later years. She turned out to be the daughter-in-law to whom he had promised his youngest son, but didn’t follow through on his promise. The child of that union was Perez, who is in the lineage of Jesus. God can still use people who are imperfect.

Rahab – 1:5 – Rahab was a prostitute who lived in Jericho. She hid the Jewish spies, lied to her fellow countrymen and was rescued when Jericho was destroyed. She married Salmon, a Jew, and was the mother of Boaz. Boaz married Ruth, a foreigner that came to live with the Israelites. They were the parents of Obed, the father of King David. God can still use people who are imperfect.

David and Bathsheba – 1:6 – David was a man “after God’s own heart.” His love for God is renown throughout Scripture. David had an affair with Bathsheba, who was married to Uriah, a commander in David’s army. When he failed in trying to cover it up by getting Uriah to sleep with his wife, David had Uriah set up to be killed in battle. He thought this would cover up the pregnancy and all would be hidden. When exposed by Samuel, David was guilt-ridden knowing that he had done something that hurt God very much. God can still use people who are imperfect.

The list goes on, but suffice to say that these people loved God, but were all guilty of sin. In spite of their past, God was still able to use them for His purposes. Each one of them played a part in the human ancestry of Jesus Christ.

I share that with you to point out that God can use you. Now matter what you have done in the past, if you will choose to love Him and allow Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, God can use you to accomplish a great purpose for His Kingdom. Your example at your job and in your community, your responsibilities as a husband, wife and parent will reflect who Jesus is in you. Your past is behind you, your future is one thing that you can determine right now.

God can still use people who are imperfect. Will you let Him use you? Pray and ask God to forgive those things of your past that hurt Him and others. Ask Him to heal you from any pain of your past and to learn how to forgive and love others. Then ask Him to reveal His purpose for your life and use you to bring glory and honor to Him. That is the most powerful witnessing tool you have. God can still use people who are imperfect. Can He use you?

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