Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Have you ever felt that you were too broken for God to use you to further his kingdom? I’ll admit that I’ve done things I’m ashamed of and have been guilty before God. However, I have also witnessed the life-changing impact that Jesus has had on the people in my life.
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus calls the tax collector Levi (later named Matthew) to follow him and join the other disciples on their faith journey.
Luke 5:27-28
27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
In biblical times, Jewish tax collectors were looked down upon. Since they were employed by the Roman government, which oppressed the Jews, it was viewed as a betrayal of their people. So, it was very controversial for Jesus to call Levi to join his inner circle.
Our lives are just as messy. We all carry some sort of baggage. Enslaved by sin and corruption, Jesus still calls us to follow him, no matter what our pasts look like.
Jesus understood and observed the brokenness of our world. He did not have to associate with sinners, but by his divine mercy, he chose to connect with us because of God’s love and grace. Jesus views us as images of God despite our mistakes, and he loves us even through our sins. He willingly meets us where we’re at and offers to make us children of God if we are willing to follow him.
Jesus didn’t hesitate to extend an invitation to a broken Levi. And Levi dropped everything to follow Jesus in return. He had likely seen the impact and power Jesus had on those around him and wanted to learn what following Christ was all about. That decision gave Levi purpose and changed his life forever.
Like Levi, we are all broken and Jesus loves us anyway. He pursues us no matter our past and extends an invitation to join him. So let us do as Levi did: get up, leave our past behind, and follow Jesus, who will always heal our brokenness.
Questions:
Has there been a time when you felt too broken for God to use you in his story?
How does Jesus love us despite our brokenness?
Next Steps:
Set aside a time for daily prayer, repenting and asking God to forgive you for past and current sins.
Be sure to attend church or watch online to experience the rest of our series, Losing My Religion. We invite you to learn how growing your relationship with God is so much more than following the typical rules of religion.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thanks for constantly pursuing us even when we sin again and again. Help us to repent of our sins and realize that you can heal any brokenness that we may have. Help us to remember that we are never too far gone for your grace. Thanks for your unending love and mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Romans 6:14
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.