From Last to First

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” -1 Corinthians 15:9-11

Do you ever feel like God has great plans for everybody else except you? Have you ever felt unworthy, excluded, and overlooked? Perhaps the enemy gives you a long list of reasons why you are exempted and disqualified from God’s future purpose because of your past.

If you’ve ever felt like God couldn’t use someone like you, you’re in good company because one of the absolute greatest leaders in church history said he was the least of all apostles and didn’t even deserve the title because of how he had persecuted God’s Church (v.9).

If you were to line up everyone that would be most likely to build up God’s Church, the guy that was working overtime to tear it down would be in the back of the line. However, God saw Paul’s potential to be a Kingdom builder when it was hard to see with human eyes!

God took Paul and made him one of the greatest Kingdom builders in the history of His Church. God took him from the back of the line to the front of the line. God took Paul from the last to first. The Holy Spirit worked in his life greatly.

Paul agreed that he worked incredibly hard (v.10), but he also acknowledged it was God’s grace that was with him! You will have to work hard, but you can trust that God’s grace can cover every flaw, failure, and shortcoming in your past or present! His grace is sufficient even for those in the back of the line - not just to hold you there, but like Paul, to carry you to the heights of His purpose for your life!

Where you start is way less important than where you finish! Paul’s journey didn’t look promising as a Jesus follower, but in the end he helped countless other people follow in the Jesus Way he had been so against!

Focus on what God has for you and don’t worry about what other people think of your past, your own reservations about your limitations, or the lack of your qualifications!

Instead, faithfully work at God’s calling in your life, rest in His grace extended through Jesus, and walk in His Spirit! Regardless of your past, God has a great future for you in Him!

Right on?

Read/listen to 1 Corinthians chapters 14-16

Prayer focus: prayerfully let go of the failures from your past, surrender your limitations to God, then talk to Him about the faith you have in Jesus for your future

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