I was speaking to someone I know recently about being a leader. This individual expressed that they had made some mistakes and didn’t necessarily deserve to be followed. The thought in their mind was that prior bad choices and decisions have now disqualified them from now being able to take a position of leadership again. The reality is that there is no leader in any area of life that has made all the right decisions. So it should be obvious that we have all made bad decisions. Thankfully, God doesn’t disqualify us because of a bad decision.
When the church of Jesus Christ was first being established, a man named Saul decided that he was going to imprison and even murder those who were followers of Christ. After a period of time doing this, he had an experience with Jesus that completely changed his life and his name was changed to Paul. He then became an apostle and spent the rest of his life working even harder to spread the good news about Jesus to the world. He went on to be used of God to write two-thirds of the New Testament through his letters to the churches he helped establish. Here’s what he says at one point when writing to the church at Corinth,
“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”
1 Corinthians 15:9 (NIV)
Paul knew that he didn’t deserve the position God gave him. He understood that he had made some dreadful mistakes in his life, even to the point of fighting against God’s own people. Even though he knew this, he did not allow it to keep him from saying yes to the mission God gave him. As a matter of fact, I believe one of the reasons God chose him to do such great things is because Paul knew that he didn’t deserve any of it. After acknowledging the fact that he should be disqualified, here’s what Paul concludes,
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
Paul understood the grace of God. It was the grace (unearned favor or ability) that allowed Paul to accomplish everything he did. Grace doesn’t make us lazy but does the opposite. Once we realize how undeserving we are of God’s grace, we will respond like Paul and work harder than all of them to accomplish God’s will. At one point Paul even says that God used him to show an example of just how patient He is to us in our bad decisions, or sins.
“But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:16 (NIV)
My hope is that you take this as a confirmation that you are certainly not qualified, but that God chose you by His grace to function in whatever role you were chosen for in this world. His grace empowered you and enabled you to do it. Even if you didn’t always get it right, you are still supposed to take your rightful, God-given place. The next time someone tells you that you don’t deserve something say, “you’re right, but thank God for His grace.” Likewise, the next time someone says you do deserve it say, “thank God for His grace.” Now rise up, take your place, and get to work on God’s will for your life.
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