The People God Uses

I wrote yesterday that I had lunch with a pastor friend last Friday. It was a good chance to get caught up on mutual pastor buddies and acquaintances. These are all pastors I really admire but as I thought back over the conversation I was struck at just how human us pastor-types are.

One is a high control freak (yes, that describes me, too, but I'm thinking of someone else). Another has no training or theological background at all and has built an amazing congregation. One has few if any real people skills and has built a massive church. One has incredible physical challenges and has a global ministry. One struggles with an anxiety disorder (yours truly). One can't organize anything let alone spell the word but still has been used to build a significant mission. And the list goes on and on.

Not unlike the group Jesus put together--a foot-in-the-mouth Peter. A traitor to the Jews tax collector--Matthew. Two brothers with hot tempers--James and John. A thief and betrayer--Judas. And yet Jesus used them all (he could have even used Judas--Jesus chose him after all) to bring his grace to the world.

Jesus uses every day people, with foibles and challenges and glitches and idiosyncrasies, in their every day lives as teachers and realtors and mechanics and husbands and wives and parents and gardeners and bank tellers, etc., to bring his amazing grace to a world filled with people with foibles and challenges and glitches and idiosyncrasies.