The Perks of a Past

I once heard it said that God uses us not despite our past but because of our past.

We see this truth all throughout Scripture.

Consider Peter. He was very impulsive and always had something to say. Peter is the one who got out of the boat, took his eyes off of Jesus, and began to sink while walking on the water (Matthew 14: 28-30).

God used that aspect of Peter’s character to fuel him as he delivered one of the most important and foundational messages in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost and the Church began with 3,000 new members (Acts 2:14).

Consider Paul. He was a Jew who knew scripture inside and out. This served him well as a Pharisee who was known for his religious zeal, violence, and commitment to persecute the church.

God was able to mold this sinful behavior into a zeal for Christ alone. Paul’s knowledge of Scripture and his Jewish heritage became the energy used as he was transformed and given the opportunity to do extraordinary things for the kingdom of God including be a leader in the Church and the author of most of the New Testament (Philippians 1:12-14).

Consider David. David fell into grave sin and his family suffered because of it.

He was a murderer, an adulterer, and at times, fueled with rage. God was able to use these aspects of his past and he became Israel’s most successful King. David wrote many of the psalms where we see the way he sought after and glorified God (Acts 13:22). David’s past positioned him to tell us about true repentance, being cleansed, and being delivered.

Now let’s consider ourselves. That habit. That attitude. That mistake. That pain. That misfortune. The rebellion. God can take it all and use it to demonstrate His power as he did with Peter; teach as he did with Paul; and testify as he did with David.

Once we accept His gift of forgiveness, His power to save, and His willingness to use us because of all that has made us who we are, we realize this truth:

There are perks to having a past.

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