Underdog Heroes

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Failure does not eliminate you from being used by God. Having a painful backstory or a sinful past does not disqualify you from being used in God’s Kingdom. You may think you have a reason to quit but God can use your failures for His glory. He can use what’s left. David committed a terrible sin against God, yet he fell on his face in repentance and God forgave him and gave him a second chance. There’s no life that’s too messy for God to repair and restore. 

There’s always going to be a part of us that’s handicapped or weak in an area, but God can use what you have. In Judges 3, a wicked king, King Eglon, was oppressing God’s people. God raised up a deliverer named Ehud. It’s important to know that the Hebrew word for left-handed means “impeded” or “handicapped.” In Jewish culture, children were raised to be right-handed. It was considered a dishonor and disgrace to be left-handed. So in those days, if you were left-handed it was often because some accident or injury had rendered your right hand unusable. Ehud was not a mighty warrior. He did not come from a prestigious tribe. He was left-handed but that “impediment” is what enabled him to defeat the evil king. He stabbed and killed the king. Eglon never saw it coming because Ehud pulled out his weapon from his right thigh with his left hand which was very unconventional in those days.

You may have a perceived weakness, but God can use it in a powerful way.

Gianna Jessen was born during a failed abortion attempt. Her seventeen-year-old biological mother was trying to have her killed but she was born alive. The failed abortion left her with cerebral palsy. You may think she lived the rest of her life rejected and downcast but that is not how her story unfolded. Jessen went on to be adopted by a wonderful family. Despite doctors predicting that she would never even lift her head, she began walking at three and has grown into a woman who runs marathons. Furthermore, she has become a famous activist and advocate for the unborn and has influenced major change in the political arena. She has testified before Congress on numerous occasions and she travels the world telling her story to large crowds. No matter who the audience is, she shares her strong faith. Jessen once said, “The beautiful thing about having cerebral palsy is it’s part of my sermon. It’s my way of reminding the earth that Heaven is real. My legs have become a net to act as a fisher of men.”

In this life, you may have been hurt or wounded and the enemy will tell you that you are useless or unworthy to be used by God. But you have to decide at one point: Are you going to nurse your wound and live in the painful past, or are you going to rise up and use it for His glory?

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