Your past does not disqualify you; Christ is redemption
You ever feel like your past disqualifies you from doing something meaningful for God? I have. In fact, I’ve often looked back at seasons of my life and thought, “J, what were you thinking?”
Moments I wish I could erase. Choices that, to this day, still sting when I recall them. I’ve been that “crooked stick”, imperfect, broken, and flawed. And yet, I’ve learned that God can draw a straight line in the sand even with someone like me.
There’s a verse in Ecclesiastes that always sits heavy on my heart. It encourages the young to enjoy life, to follow their heart’s desire, but it ends with a sobering reminder: God will judge everything we do.
That verse used to make me feel like I blew my only shot. But now I see it differently. Yes, God judges. Yes, He sees our actions. But He also sent Jesus, so that crooked people like me could be made straight in the eyes of a holy God.
This isn’t about judgment today. This is about redemption. About pressing forward, even when we feel like our past disqualifies us. Whether you’re a former addict, a single parent, divorced, disabled, incarcerated, or simply someone who made a lifetime of bad choices, if you believe in Jesus, you are not disqualified. In fact, you are exactly the kind of person God uses.
In the Gospel of John, we are told that those who believe in Christ are set free. And that’s the freedom I walk in today. Not a freedom to be reckless, but a freedom to be fruitful. I want to live out the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, not because I’m perfect, but because I’ve been redeemed.
1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” So don’t let guilt and shame rob you of a life filled with faith, hope, and love. Because the real tragedy isn’t being broken, it’s believing you’re too broken for God to use.
Trust me, even a crooked stick can be powerful in the hands of a mighty God.