Flawed but Valuable To God

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

Some people don’t read the Bible because they think it’s all about saintly people whose lives have no bearing on reality. If you feel that way, read the book of Genesis. The dysfunctional families there will make yours seem normal! Cain was jealous of his brother Abel so he murdered him. Lamech introduced the world to polygamy. Noah, the most righteous man of his time, got drunk and cursed his children. When the men of Sodom wanted the two angels who visited Lot, in order to save himself Lot offered them sex with his daughters instead. (And the Bible still refers to him as ‘godly’! 2 Peter 2:7) Abraham slept with his wife’s maid, got her pregnant and then banished her and her son to the wilderness because his wife Sarah complained about ‘the other woman’. Jacob’s firstborn son Reuben slept with one of his father’s wives. The list goes on and on. The question is: why would God include this cast of characters in the Bible? To make the point that we’re all flawed in some way! We like to think we’re normal, but by God’s definition we fall far short. We all have habits we struggle with, past mistakes we can’t undo, and inherent tendencies we can’t overcome without His help. God said, ‘My power shows up best in weak people’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). You say, ‘But shouldn’t I strive to be better?’ Yes, but if God only used perfect people, His work would never get done.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for using flawed people like myself – forgiving us, and asking us to grow and start new – every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen