Why did God choose my imperfection?

Take Captive Every Thought is the result of a process God started when I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior almost thirty-two years ago.  Following in the footsteps of believers worldwide, I read and was fascinated by all the stories in the Bible in which God called on ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary plans.

As I wrote in my July newsletter, so often Christians, myself included, have read the stories of biblical patriarchs and in doing so, we place them on a pedestal because God used them in miraculous ways.  In reading these narratives, it is easy to focus on the miraculous; however, we tend to overlook their faults.

God repeatedly chose imperfect men and women to change the course of human history.  God didn’t need these individuals to bring about His intended result.  He could have done it in His power alone.  Yet in almost every chapter of the Bible we find the name(s) of God’s chosen champions. 

Apart from the Bible, we can identify countless individuals of similar ordinary background that God lifted up to accomplish His purpose.  In recent generations, we could include Billy Graham, James Dobson, Adrian Rogers, Neil Anderson, and John MacArther.  Accomplished men of God though none would claim themselves to be without fault.  I am confident those reading this could add to the list.   

Not abiding in comparison, and in a process of humble self-reflection, I could not escape this question.  Why did God choose my imperfection to address the often overlooked and misunderstood topic of spiritual warfare?  I certainly could not have imagined He would call on me for such a task. My childhood could not have been more ordinary, and as I matured, righteous living would not have described my behavior.

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was the youngest of three sons.  We were a typical middle-class, suburban family at that time.  Both of my parents were heavily involved in the Catholic church and from an early age, I can remember attending mass every Sunday.  I even served as an altar boy in the church for several years. 

Perhaps it was because of my age and/or immaturity, but I never gained any spiritual insight or depth of conviction about my faith, even after attending Catholic school through the eighth grade.  By age 14, I had fallen away from the church and stopped attending except on holidays. (You know, a “CEO Christian” – Christmas and Easter Only.)  

The enemy was at work!

As I entered high school, drinking beer and wine became fashionable.  At the same time, the drug culture was growing in popularity and frequently advertised as a new form of counter cultural freedom from society.  It was cool, it was fun, and marijuana was the drug of choice.  The decision to fit into that culture led to years of abusing alcohol, experimenting with other drugs, and many close calls with the law. 

Not realizing it at the time, I allowed the slow drip of Satan’s temptation to influence my life in the wrong direction.  Without the foundation of biblical authority, addition sin prevailed as well.  As I look back at it now, I believe it was only God’s grace and the fervent prayers of my parents that kept me alive and out of jail. 

For most of those years, religion was a topic I purposely avoided.  In fact, for all intents and purposes, I was a practicing agnostic.  I learned to rely on myself and developed a quiet confidence in running my own life.  I was proud of the fact that I had become a self-made man always able to handle any problem that was thrown at me.  Until – my life came tumbling down.  My business was faltering, my finances were in distress, and my home was in turmoil.  

God chose to intervene.

By the grace of God, I survived my ignorance, and gained my salvation when I was 34 years old.  A Baptist Pastor, Dr. Joe Ford, became one of my best friends as well as my spiritual mentor.  As I began reading the Bible, it seemed as though the words would jump off the page and come alive in my heart.  I very quickly developed a sincere hunger and deep fascination for God’s word. 

At first, I was upset that no one had ever directed me to these simple, yet powerful truths before.  But once the truth was revealed to me, I wanted desperately to learn more and couldn’t wait for Sunday mornings, when “Dr. Joe” would make the stories of the Bible come to life and applicable to my everyday circumstances. 

What I discovered turned out to be a major turning point in my life.  The stories of these biblical heroes were inspiring, but it was not until I uncovered what the Bible taught about evil, (it’s source, it’s tactics, and it’s agenda), that I could genuinely begin to pursue a victorious Christian lifestyle.  For me, unveiling the complete truth and application of Scripture was made possible by probing and understanding the depths of spiritual warfare. 

I now believe this to be true for all God’s children.  Apparently, God thought so too.  At first, the thoughts were fleeting.  Soon, they came more often and with more intensity.  Eventually, the Holy Spirit’s encouragement was unmistakable.  God wanted me to write a book on spiritual warfare.  Wait!  What?  “I’m not formally trained in any denomination of the church, I haven’t attended seminary, and I don’t have a master’s degree or doctorate in theology;” I argued.

Like Moses, I resisted at first and offered many additional excuses why “I” couldn’t do it.  After sidestepping the issue for as long as God would allow, I was given a rather obvious nudge to begin this journey (more about that in the book).  To me, it was a clear directive.  God was not interested in my ability or my spiritual intellect.  He was interested in my availability.  I would not be writing this material, He would.  I just needed to say yes, sit down at my computer, and start the process.  God would do the rest! 

Victory was at hand.

Beyond the obvious stated above, the additional motivation for writing this material was twofold. First, out of the frustration of a baby Christian (me) with unrealistic expectations of how my life might change after accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior and inviting God to walk alongside me.  Secondly, the frustration of observing so many Christians fall short of the life that God had intended for them (some with miserable consequences) convinced me that a comprehensive understanding of this spiritual battle was missing in their Christian walk.

This study is intended to clearly disseminate the truth about spiritual warfare and to provide Christians (at any level of maturity) the wisdom, discernment, and determination necessary to defeat the enemy and allow God’s plan to prevail in their lives.  I do not claim to be an expert on the subject, but I do engage in the battle each day with a new perspective. 

That may not be the background you would expect for such a weighty topic, and that leads to the original question.  Why did God choose my imperfections for this task?  I don’t have a complete answer for that question.  Beyond the clear inspiration of the Holy Spirit, perhaps the reason this book is so unique is because it is written from a layman’s perspective and shares the victory of someone just like you overcoming their failings.

I do my best to share what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me in regard to living a victorious Christian lifestyle.  This study is a true testament to God’s ability to save the lost, revive the dead in spirit, and use a common sinner to advance His Gospel.  Should you choose to read the book, I trust the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will be self-evident as you progress through the chapters.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit

Penned by His faithful servant. 

To God be the glory!

Please share this resource with family and friends.  Our ministry continues to grow through God’s grace and word-of-mouth referrals.  Thank you for your continued support and God bless! 

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