Seeing imperfections in our heroes confirms that God is our only true hero.
I once joined a meeting with some seasoned Christian leaders. I was a young leader and stood in awe of them. But when a divisive issue arose, fire and fury flew back and forth. Looking back, this experience benefited me. I learned even good leaders were a lot like me: not so perfect all the time.
David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he once went over to the enemy. Subsequently, he feigned insanity to stay alive. In the end, the evil king Achish that David joined forsook him. Unbelief always leads to disappointment.
David’s experience is not an isolated story in the Bible. Elijah, after his great victory over Baal on Mount Carmel, ran in fear from Queen Jezebel. After saying he would die for the Lord, Peter denied Him three times. At times, the history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—along with their descendants—reads like a trashy novel. The Bible records that even the best of us have clay feet.
We don’t like to hear things like this about our heroes, but God has a message for us. He uses imperfect people to accomplish His perfect will. We should never place our security in mere flesh. Although God is concerned with bad behavior, if He waited to use us until all our ducks were in a row, He would delay a long time.
Unflattering stories about our Bible heroes can encourage us. They remind us the true hero in all our stories is the Lord Jesus. If God can use the fallible characters described in the Bible, He can show His glory through flawed people like us.
Don’t let past failures keep you from being a hero for God.
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Ken Barnes has had a twenty-five year career in educational pursuits. He has taught in various public and private schools in Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Virginia. He also worked for seventeen years with Youth With A Mission as a school leader, recruiter, and director. Ken holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places. He currently is a speaker, blogger, and freelance writer. Ken lives with his wife Sharon in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Visit Ken at https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/