Overcoming the Past So We Can Serve God
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of
a harlot… (Judg 11:1)
Jephthah's story begins with what would have been a heroic
description had it not been tarnished by the dishonorable circumstances of his
birth. Jephthah grew up in the shadow of his mother’s
shameful reputation, and his stepbrothers mistreated him for it. Expelled from
his father’s house, Jephthah turned to a life of
raiding in order to survive, surrounded only by “worthless men.”
The Bible
separately describes another man called Abimelech, who
was also of a disadvantaged birth. Born of his father’s female servant, Abimelech dealt with his illegitimacy by killing his 70
brothers and angering God in the process. Jephthah,
however, did not use his physical strength against his brothers to assert his
right to an inheritance. Instead, he chose to flee, not knowing that his people
would one day seek for his return as their commander.
When the
time came, God called Jephthah to serve. Jephthah had been rejected by society for no fault of his
own, but God had plans all along to use him. God had chosen and prepared him to
be the one to deliver His people from the hands of the Ammonites.
Jephthah had to make a decision. Could he come to the aid
of the same people who had driven him away before? If not, his God-given
strength would be used only toward raiding. We would not have known of him or
of the battles that he fought for God.
Like Jephthah, we have a choice. When the opportunity arises, will
we allow our background or past pains to hinder us from willingly stepping up
and entering God’s service? Only when we can look past how others have judged
or wronged us in the past can we live out the purpose that God intends for us
today.
Questions for Reflection
1. Have
painful circumstances that you have encountered in your life affected how you
feel about God?
2. Have
you allowed past hurts to prevent you from taking the next step in your
commitment or service to God?
