God doesn't make trash

I don't often post twice in one day, but who can restrain God? *smile*

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that just as it is written, “Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

This verse has been on my heart. I’ve really been wrestling with my self esteem lately. I’ve heard so many people, (especially lately,) tell me that God doesn’t make trash. I have found many ways of still convincing myself that I am indeed trash. God has spoke to me a lot lately about belonging, about my calling and His pursuit of me. He has told me how He loves me. These are all things I struggle to understand.

It was then that God brought this scripture to mind. He reminded me of who I used to be before I met Him, and how he has truly refined me, even redeemed parts of my life which were seemingly unredeemable. He brought me back to think of my testimony. He reminded me of the power in it, the way it shows His mighty power. It shows that I really had no part in it, apart of allowing Him to do His work, but even He brought me to that place where I could allow Him.

He brought me back to the moments when I shared my testimony, to street kids back in Canada, to a friend out on the west coast, to random strangers around a campfire in Hawaii, to churches in Indonesia, to strangers on planes and airport terminals, etc. He brought me back to see their faces, their eyes, their tears even. Not because of me, but because of Him. He brought me to a point where I could see the impact on their hearts, of people asking Him into their lives, surrendering to Him.

I look at myself and all I see is weakness, all I see is brokenness. God looks at me and all He sees is opportunity, beauty, and redemption. God doesn’t see fault in me at all. He sees me on this great road to being fully redeemed in Him. He sees me not at the beginning, or standing in the middle, or strolling along; He sees me at the end, in His arms. No matter where I am in the road, He still sees me in the same place: with Him.

God is using my weakness; He is using my faults to cleanse others. None of us are righteous, not even one of us. We are all in desperate need of Him. We are all broken: we are all weak and lowly. God didn’t make a mistake in me. No, God made me exactly as He needed me for His ministry. God made me to walk this path of brokenness, of weakness. He made me to learn, to grow, so that on the way to redemption I could meet with and walk with others. He made me this way so that I could walk with my brothers and sisters as we cross paths at different points on our walk. He made me to encourage and to be encouraged.

God made me so that He could be glorified through me. The glory is not in my perfection: the glory is in His redemption!