Can God Use Me?

There are Christians who feel that God cannot use them. They believe they have “messed up” too bad to ever be used by God. They are filled with guilt and struggle to forgive themselves. They wonder, “How could God ever forgive me, never alone use me?” If this describes you then I have good news: God not only forgives us when we confess our sin to Him (1 John 1:9), He can and will use us for His glory if we will only make ourselves available to Him (2 Timothy 2:21).

There are many examples in Scripture, but for the sake of time and space, I will name two. The first is a man named Saul, whose name was later changed to Paul. Paul persecuted Christians. In fact, he was an eyewitness to the stoning death of Stephen, and even approved of Stephen’s murder. And yet, God saved Paul (Acts 9:1-19). He not only forgave his sins but He also called Paul into ministry. Paul went on to become a great missionary and church planter. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he authored 13 books of the New Testament. The second example is an un-named woman who Jesus met at a well while waiting for His disciples. This woman had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband. No doubt she had a reputation in her community! However, she met Jesus and was changed! Scripture tells us that many from her town believed in Jesus because of her testimony (John 4:5-42). God used both a former persecutor and an adulterer for His glory! These two examples reveal that God is able to turn anyone’s life around to be used for His divine purposes. So, regardless of what you have done in the past, if you have confessed your sin you are forgiven and God can—and wants to—use you for His glory.

A modern day example is the late Chuck Colson. In the early 70’s Colson served as Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon. During his service, he was known as the White House "hatchet man" and was feared by many. By his own admission he was guilty of political "dirty tricks" and willing to do almost anything for the cause of his president and his party. Colson pled guilty to Watergate-related charges and spent seven months in prison. But God saved Colson and over the past 40 years he was used by God. He founded Prison Fellowship, an outreach organization assisting prisoners, ex-prisoners, victims, and affected families. Colson also authored more than 30 books. You can learn more about him here. I would also encourage you to read the following articles: Ed Stetzer, Vice President of Research and Ministry Development for LifeWay Christian Resources, writes an excellent article here; and, Russell Moore, dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, writes an article here which is worthy of your time.

So, can God use you for His glory? Absolutely! Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. Don’t remain on the sidelines. Remember, when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The psalmist tells us that as far as the east is from the west, so far does he [God] remove our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). So, if you’re on the sidelines then get up and get in the game. God wants to use you for His glory. Let’s be faithful to live our lives to bring God much glory!