When Abram was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai: "I know well how beautiful a woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'She is his wife'; then they will kill me, but let you live. Please say, therefore, that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account and my life may be spared for your sake."…
Then Pharaoh summoned Abram and said to him: "How could you do this to me! Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Here, then, is your wife. Take her and be gone!" (Genesis 12:11-13, 18-19)
Rebekah then took the best clothes of her older son Esau that she had in the house, and gave them to her younger son Jacob to wear; and with the skins of the kids she covered up his hands and the hairless parts of his neck. Then she handed her son Jacob the appetizing dish and the bread she had prepared.
Bringing them to his father, Jacob said, "Father!" "Yes?" replied Isaac. "Which of my sons are you?" Jacob answered his father: "I am Esau, your first-born. I did as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your special blessing."
But Isaac asked, "How did you succeed so quickly, son?" He answered, "The LORD, your God, let things turn out well with me." (Genesis 27:15-19)
It isn't exactly comforting to realize that Abraham, whom Scriptures call "Our Father in Faith," and Jacob, one of the great patriarchs of our faith, were deceivers! Abraham was willing to put his wife at risk to save his own skin.
Jacob, even though his brother, Esau, had earlier traded his father's blessing for a bowl of stew still used deception to make sure he got that blessing. His older brother should have been the one to be blessed, but it fell to him, the younger, instead — and despite his own weaknesses!
Saul and David are another example where the elder — Saul — should have obtained the blessings of being the king and building up God's people, but the younger — David — is the one who inherited that honor and whose line was established as kings in Jerusalem for centuries. Ironically, David too, like Jacob, had his dark side. All we have to do is recall his weaknesses with Bathsheba and his plot to have Uriah killed to see that he too was not always an angel. Still, this is another case where God wanted to use the first one to do his will, but the second one ended up fulfilling his plan.
These examples show us that despite the fact that some of the heroes of the Bible were not always model citizens, God saw their desire to follow him — despite their weaknesses — and empowered them to do great things for his people. In fact, the Bible is filled with stories of men and women who had significant weaknesses but who played important roles in the kingdom of God — and were transformed in the process.
We all have areas of weakness and shortcomings. And yes, it is important to quickly repent of our sins and ask forgiveness, and to use the Sacrament of Reconciliation to receive forgiveness and the grace to overcome sin areas. Yet God still sees the good in us as well — even when we may not always see it! What's more, Jesus calls us, even in the midst of our weaknesses, to be his disciple and to "go out and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19).
Never let your faults or weaknesses discourage you from being used by God to build his Kingdom. Never let the whispers of the Evil One shame you into thinking you are not good enough to be used by God. God loves you! He can use you to spread the gospel! He sees you not only for who you are right now but for who you can become as you give your heart to him every day. Trust that he can bring forth even more good in your life. Ask him to transform you to make the weak spots strong, even as he fills your strengths with his power and grace. You really can make a difference! Allow God to use you, even in your weakness.
"Holy Spirit, fill me and every Catholic man with the confidence to build your kingdom. Use the good in us, O Lord, empower us to overcomes our weaknesses, and transform us more and more into the image of Jesus."
Many thanks to The Word Among Us for allowing us to adapt material from daily meditations in their monthly devotional magazine. Used with permission.
Questions for Reflection/Discussion by Catholic Men
1. We know that many of the "heroes" of the Bible had many weaknesses. What are some qualities of Abraham, Jacob, and David that allowed God to use them in spite of their weaknesses?
2. What steps can you take to strengthen these same qualities in you?
3. We know that we are all sinners. We know that we all have many weaknesses. Yet, God wants to use you to build his Kingdom, in spite of your weaknesses. What are some obstacles in your life that seem to keep you from responding to this call of God?
4. What steps can you take to overcome these obstacles? How can other brothers in Christ support you?
5. In the article, we hear these words: "Jesus calls us, even in the midst of our weaknesses, to be his disciple and to ‘go out and make disciples' (Matthew 28:19)." What do these words mean to you? How can you respond to Jesus' "Great Commission"?
6. If you are in a men's group, end your meeting by praying to the Lord for one another that each of you would be used by God to build his Kingdom. Use the prayer at the end of the article as the starting point.
