Has the thought ever crossed your mind that because of your past mistakes God couldn’t possibly use you? Have you ever felt like your past has disqualified you from a relevant future? Let’s consider some of the heroes mentioned in the Bible. Jacob was a cheater and a swindler. Peter had a terrible temper. David had an affair and then had the woman’s husband killed to cover it up. Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, and Paul was a murderer. Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, and Martha was a worrier. Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was moody, and Mary Magdalene was reported to be a prostitute. Moses stuttered, Zacchaeus was short, and Abraham was old. Last but not least, Lazarus was dead. Yet in all these imperfect people’s lives, God was glorified and His Kingdom proclaimed. God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. The Pharisees and Sadducees thought they were the qualified ones, the called—yet they were blind and full of dead men’s bones. Whom God calls, He qualifies. Whom He qualifies, He equips for service. Your past isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning for God. He’s got great plans for you.