“One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.” (Judges 16: 1-2)
Sometimes I feel like God can’t use me unless I’m perfect. I feel that if I make a mistake God will instantly declare me “unworthy” and cast me aside. I’m not sure where this idea comes from, but it certainly doesn’t come from the Bible. In fact, the Bible is filled with examples of people with serious problems in their lives. And yet, God chooses them to work through.
In the book of Judges we see people, exactly like us, being used by God to further his Kingdom. Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel, spent his first few encounters with God by questioning God’s identity. Only after God performed a miracle did Gideon (reluctantly) follow his commands. Jephthah, another Judge, tried to manipulate God in order to win a battle, it end up costing him his daughter’s life. Perhaps the most famous Judge of Israel was Samson. You know, the guy with super strength and long hair. Samson had a whole host of personality problems (like arrogance and pride), as well as a weakness for women (including prostitutes).
None of those people seem like they should be included in the Bible. After all, isn’t the Bible just for perfect people? And yet it’s these fallen people that God chose to not only act, but reveal himself. Why did God seek out such broken people? Could it be that we all have issues, and no one is perfect? Could it be that our perfection (or imperfection) is not the way God judges our worthiness? And if that’s the case, why do we use our perfection (or imperfection) as the way we judge ourselves?
