God Still Uses People Who Thought They Ruined Everything

Have you ever looked in the mirror and only seen everything that is wrong with you?

Maybe when you see your reflection, you think of your mistakes.

Your regrets.

The moments you wish you could erase.

The moments you hope no one you love ever finds out about.

I remember a season in my life when I was held captive by my past. 

Every decision I regretted replayed itself over and over in my mind, and while I was obsessing over who I used to be, I was slowly being robbed of the joy and purpose God had placed right in front of me.

I would begin to find peace.
I would start feeling confident in my faith again.

And then the enemy would show up with a neon sign flashing every mistake I had ever made directly in front of my face creating fear, uncertainty, and shame.

The whispers sounded familiar:

Who do you think you are?

You can’t encourage other people to follow Christ.

Remember that time when you…

When people look at you, they see your past.
They don’t see Jesus.

You’re a joke.
God isn’t even listening to you.
He would never use someone like you.

But then, I remember Paul.

Paul also had a past.

Before his conversion, he was known as Saul of Tarsus—a man who persecuted Christians, threatened them, arrested them, and threw them into prison. 

He even stood in approval as Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was stoned to death.

And yet…

Everything changed when Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter 9.

The man who once tried to destroy the message of Jesus became one of the boldest voices proclaiming it.

His reputation did not change overnight.
Trust had to be rebuilt.
Healing took time.

And God used people like Barnabas—the “son of encouragement”—to stand beside Paul and testify to the transformation they witnessed in his life.

Paul was set on a journey of redemption.

In Acts 9:15, the Lord said of him:

“This man is my chosen instrument.”

Chosen.

Not after he earned redemption.
Not after he cleaned up his reputation.
Not after everyone approved of him.

Chosen while carrying the testimony of who he used to be.

The same man who approved of a Christian martyr’s death would later write much of the New Testament—the very words that still strengthen, encourage, convict, and disciple believers around the world today.

The same man who once arrested Christians spent the rest of his life proclaiming that Jesus truly is the Son of God.

And today, billions of copies of the Bible have been distributed across the world.

Paul’s words still live inside and are speaking to YOU today.

So, I want to ask you something:

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Do you see your failures?
Your shame?
Your regrets?
The version of you that existed before Jesus began healing you?

Or do you see what God sees?

Because God did not call Paul by the worst thing he had ever done.

He called him Chosen.

And maybe someone reading this today needs to hear that God is not standing over your life holding a list of accusations.

He is inviting you into redemption.

Into transformation.
Into purpose.
Into becoming.

Yes, your past may explain part of your story.
But it does not have the authority to name your future–

JESUS does.

And today, this is what He says about you:

You are a child of God. (1 John 3:1)

You are chosen. (Ephesians 1:4–5, John 15:16)

You are God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

You are made new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

And maybe one of the most powerful parts of that verse is realizing who wrote it.

Paul.

If anyone understood what it meant to become new in Christ, it was the man who once spent his life fighting against Him.

The mirror may still try to remind you who you were.

But Jesus is reminding you who you are becoming.

Not condemned.
Not disqualified.
Not ruined.

Redeemed.
Chosen.
Made new.

Available to be used.

And that changes everything.