GOD LOVES IMPERFECT PEOPLE!
Did you know, God likes to use people with issues???
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were liars--Jacob was a thief, too.
Joseph (Old Testament) was a spoiled brat--and subsequently, a jailbird.
Moses was a shy, nervous type.
Aaron was weak and a follower--and a complainer, too (and his sister, Miriam)!
Noah was a drunkard.
Eli was a good man, but a bad priest, and used nepotism, and his son's were wicked!
Gideon was fearful and suffered from an identity crisis.
David, Samson and Solomon had lust issues (times 12, at least--Solomon times hundreds!)
Rahab was a madam, in her own brothel.
Tamar played the harlot.
Ruth was a pagan.
Bathsheba was one object of David's lust--and an adulteress.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, got pregnant out-of-wedlock (what would you have whispered about her??!!!)
Esther was scared and did NOT want to see the king!
Nehemiah and Daniel were slaves--Nehemiah was probably a eunuch, too!
Isaiah was focused on the king--not the King.
Jeremiah was a crybaby. (We'd have told him to man up!)
Ezekiel was well..."different".
Hosea's wife was a prostitute--and, He chased her. (We'd have called him a fool, for sure!)
Haggai was too harsh, (so, God called Zechariah to deliver the same message in a way it could be digested).
Jonah was super-rebellious.
Jesus' disciples included a traitor, glory-seeker's, and a foul mouth, fighter with a bad attitude (who was, by our standards, a little ghetto), a doubter and they all checked out when the going got tough!
Martha was a workaholic--doing good things, that God didn't ask her to do.
Mary (her sister) was lazy according to Martha's performance-oriented standards--and, most of ours, too!
Paul persecuted the Church, AND he had a "thorn". SHHH!
Peter and Paul fought each other over doctrinal issues.
Timothy was a half-breed, and WE would have called him Paul's little flunkie;
Philemon was a slave-owner.
John the Revelator, was in exile--soooo, he had to be a criminal (by someone's standards).
We would have rejected all of these people (great men and women of God) as unworthy and not fit for the work of the Kingdom; but, God saw something else.
God used every one them, in spite of their imperfections--and maybe, even because of them! God is not concerned with what is wrong or different about us (or what we think is so great about us, either!), because when God injects Himself into our situation and lives, marvelous things happen!
He changes the worst atmosphere! It's not about YOU or what YOU can bring to the table; it's all about the willingness and depth's of your heart--that's, what He wants. God could care less that you failed, miserably. He cares even less, about your charisma, looks, money, education, social class and ability. When He comes in, all of that decreases so that He is magnified, anyway.
So, none of us should feel too inferior; and not one of us should deem ourselves too superior, either! It's just NOT about us, but all about Him and His awesome power to transform us into His Image--and no one else's!
So, don't think too much of yourself--or, too little!
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were liars--Jacob was a thief, too.
Joseph (Old Testament) was a spoiled brat--and subsequently, a jailbird.
Moses was a shy, nervous type.
Aaron was weak and a follower--and a complainer, too (and his sister, Miriam)!
Noah was a drunkard.
Eli was a good man, but a bad priest, and used nepotism, and his son's were wicked!
Gideon was fearful and suffered from an identity crisis.
David, Samson and Solomon had lust issues (times 12, at least--Solomon times hundreds!)
Rahab was a madam, in her own brothel.
Tamar played the harlot.
Ruth was a pagan.
Bathsheba was one object of David's lust--and an adulteress.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, got pregnant out-of-wedlock (what would you have whispered about her??!!!)
Esther was scared and did NOT want to see the king!
Nehemiah and Daniel were slaves--Nehemiah was probably a eunuch, too!
Isaiah was focused on the king--not the King.
Jeremiah was a crybaby. (We'd have told him to man up!)
Ezekiel was well..."different".
Hosea's wife was a prostitute--and, He chased her. (We'd have called him a fool, for sure!)
Haggai was too harsh, (so, God called Zechariah to deliver the same message in a way it could be digested).
Jonah was super-rebellious.
Jesus' disciples included a traitor, glory-seeker's, and a foul mouth, fighter with a bad attitude (who was, by our standards, a little ghetto), a doubter and they all checked out when the going got tough!
Martha was a workaholic--doing good things, that God didn't ask her to do.
Mary (her sister) was lazy according to Martha's performance-oriented standards--and, most of ours, too!
Paul persecuted the Church, AND he had a "thorn". SHHH!
Peter and Paul fought each other over doctrinal issues.
Timothy was a half-breed, and WE would have called him Paul's little flunkie;
Philemon was a slave-owner.
John the Revelator, was in exile--soooo, he had to be a criminal (by someone's standards).
We would have rejected all of these people (great men and women of God) as unworthy and not fit for the work of the Kingdom; but, God saw something else.
God used every one them, in spite of their imperfections--and maybe, even because of them! God is not concerned with what is wrong or different about us (or what we think is so great about us, either!), because when God injects Himself into our situation and lives, marvelous things happen!
He changes the worst atmosphere! It's not about YOU or what YOU can bring to the table; it's all about the willingness and depth's of your heart--that's, what He wants. God could care less that you failed, miserably. He cares even less, about your charisma, looks, money, education, social class and ability. When He comes in, all of that decreases so that He is magnified, anyway.
So, none of us should feel too inferior; and not one of us should deem ourselves too superior, either! It's just NOT about us, but all about Him and His awesome power to transform us into His Image--and no one else's!
So, don't think too much of yourself--or, too little!
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