God Uses Crooked Sticks

 to Draw Straight Lines

 

God uses crooked sticks to draw straight lines. This phrase was popularized by Martin Luther, and how true these words are!

God works through imperfect people to accomplish his perfect will. We, in all our weaknesses and failings, can be used as instruments in God’s eternal plan.

God does not wait for us to become perfect before he uses us. If this was the case, there would be no work for the Lord done, no fumbling attempts at witnessing, no starts and stops in our ministries, no new churches planted, no outreach, nothing. Because the simple fact is, none of us are perfect, or ever will be.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t give us a license to give up and not try. We should be striving daily to become more like Christ. We should be transformed in our minds and hearts and actions (Romans 12:1,2) and grow in spiritual and moral purity (1 Peter 1:15,16).

Although we are imperfect human beings, we can be used of God. Crooked sticks drawing straight lines.

We can be humble and obedient, desiring to do the will of God and he can and will work through us, despite our flawed and faulty character, to accomplish his plans and see the gospel preached and the love of God shared with a lost world.

We don’t need to sit on the sidelines, despairing of ever being used of God because we think we lack some degree of spiritual excellence and we simply admire others for their maturity and courage while we sit despondently, mulling over our own unworthiness.

No! It takes all sorts of people to reach the world with the love of God. We offer God what we have, and he works in us and through us to further the gospel and spread the good news.

Let me give you a few examples of men in the Bible, imperfect like us, who God used.

Take Abraham for instance. He jeopardized the safety of his wife, Sarah, not once, but twice, yet God worked through him to produce the nation of Israel.

Moses, killed a man, argued with God, disobeyed a direct command, even asked God to kill him, yet God used him to bring his people out of captivity in Egypt.

Samson, a liar and an immoral man, was used of God to judge Israel and bring about the destruction of their enemies.

King David, an adulterer and a murderer and yet he is called a man after God’s own heart.

Need I go on?

The point is, God uses imperfect people, imperfect and yet obedient to his will.

God isn’t concerned about our ability; he wants our availability.

This brings me to a topic that could be a little prickly and uncomfortable for some, and it is this. God uses imperfect people in leadership, just as he uses you and me, to accomplish his plans. God uses Pastors and Youth Leaders and Sunday School Teachers, and Women’s ministry leaders, who are imperfect.

We don’t always agree with how our leaders run God’s church. We don’t always see eye to eye with the way the programs are run or how they choose to arrange the Sunday morning service or how many and what kind of songs are sung. We don’t always agree on ministries that are started or even stopped. But who are we to say God can’t use them?

We are all a work in progress. We are all in the process of sanctification, a lifelong process. God is still working in us and will be until we go home to be with him.

Something I had to learn very quickly when we moved here to the Northern Territory, was that just because something was different, didn’t mean it was wrong. And just because it was different, didn’t mean God couldn’t use it.

Yes, we need to use discernment and we need to search the scriptures daily, as did the Bereans (Acts 17:11), to make sure our leaders and teachers are preaching the whole counsel of God and leading according to God’s will.

And yes, some leaders are too passive and some too confrontational, some too permissive and some too unloving.

But as with us all, there are some who need to grow in Christ and develop in maturity and there are others who need to grow in grace and understand that speaking the truth in love actually needs to be loving.

But this doesn’t negate the fact that God can’t use them.

I think that so often, we who grew up in church, can become so critical of things being done differently. A new pastor comes along and changes things up and all of the sudden we’re out of sorts before we even have time to really assess the situation, look at personality, attitude, motives etc.

(For me, I lean toward wanting things to be different, and new and fresh and getting frustrated when they’re not)

In the Old Testament we read of the rebuilding of Solomon’s temple. We see that the reactions of the people were vastly different.

Ezra 3:12-13 KJV - But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

There were old men, weeping because it wasn’t like the old temple, and then there were young men, excited because the foundation was laid, and things were ‘moving and shaking’.

And we can become just like the old men. Miserable and despondent because we want what we had, not realizing that God has plans to use what he is building in the here and now. Yes, the old had its place and it was used of God for that season, but now there is another plan in the making, a new beginning, a rumbling underfoot of God’s plans in progress, and who are we to stand in the way?

Again, I am not talking of heresy, or worldly things coming into our churches and us being agreeable. No. We must stand firm on the Word of God and not allow the Devil to get a foothold, but I think we squabble and become disgruntled over things that don’t matter in the eternal scheme of things.

God does give our leaders insight and direction, if they are walking according to his will, and he often leads them in ways that we don’t understand. But we need to show grace and realize that it’s God’s Church, not ours. It is God who should be glorified.

It’s not about programs and people and prestige. It’s not about the colour of the carpet or whether or not we keep certain ministries running. There are seasons for everything, and this includes the church and the work it does.

If we’re not careful, we can become a discouraging influence on those around us, the younger in the Lord, the less mature, those who are excited about what God is doing. We can pull them down into our pit, talking bad about our Pastors or leaders, seeking to discredit them or throw mud on them.

What we need to be doing is upholding them in prayer. We need to daily bring them before the throne of God, asking God to give them wisdom in the decisions they make. Asking God to give them the time they need to spend in His Word, studying and meditating so that they can teach us what God would have us learn. We need to pray God will give them direction.

We need to pray for good counsellors for them. Older, wiser, men and women in the faith who can be mentors and examples to them, and we need to pray that they will listen not only to good counsel, but especially that they will be in tune with God, walking so closely to him that they will hear his still, small voice whispering to their hearts.

We can’t come to church each week with a critical, judgemental spirit, just waiting to pounce on the mistakes made, the misquotes, the misapplication. We need to come with a humble, teachable spirit, longing to hear the Word of God proclaimed.

God will use imperfect people to accomplish his will. Our leaders are in the process of growth. They are still learning and maturing. As we are. We need to show grace.

I know it’s difficult to listen to certain types of preaching and some are better than others when it comes to delivering God’s Word. It’s easy to tune out to some and tune in to others. But even if all you get out of the sermon is the passage read from the Word of God, then you’re blessed.

God’s Word is power. It is protection. It is nourishment. It is cleansing. It is full of hope. It gives instruction and correction. It is God-breathed. It is God’s very words, written down and preserved for all of time. Our letter of love from our Almighty Creator.

Go to church not because of its programs or pastors. Go to church not because of its worship service or children’s ministries. Go because it is there you can find fellowship. It is there you can hear the Word of God read aloud. It is there that God gathers a group of imperfect people, of like-minded faith to live out the gospel and advance the kingdom.

God can and will use crooked sticks to draw straight lines. Don’t look for straight sticks. God doesn’t make them. He chooses to use our bent, imperfect, flawed, incomplete, damaged selves to draw straight lines that point the way to Christ.

Throw off the critical spirit and embrace what God is doing in the lives of your fellow believers. Show discernment but also show mercy. Show love. Show grace.

In the midst of our growth, God uses us. Imperfect though we are. God works in mysterious ways. How about we stop complaining and start praying and encouraging and cheering on those who are doing their best to follow Christ? They need your prayers, not your criticism.

Who are you to stand in the way of God’s will and way?

Who are you to say God can't use them? 

 

Galatians 6:10 KJV - As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV - Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.