“God can’t use me—I’ve done so many bad things! How could a holy God ever love and accept me?” Does that sound familiar? I know it does for me. I’ve had those same thoughts and conversations with others over the years. It’s easy to believe the lie that our past disqualifies us from God’s love and purpose.
But the truth is, God sees us differently.
There’s a man in the Bible whose story reminds me of this. His name was Zacchaeus. By common standards, Zacchaeus was a sinner—a man who had made choices that earned him wealth at the expense of others. Though he was rich, he was despised, isolated, and deeply empty.
Then one day, Jesus came to town. And everything changed.
While Zacchaeus climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Him, Jesus stopped, looked up, and called him by name. Instead of seeing Zacchaeus for what he had done, Jesus saw him for who he was. With compassion and love, Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus’s life. That encounter turned everything around. Zacchaeus went from being a man weighed down by sin to someone transformed by grace.
This story reminds us of an incredible truth: Jesus didn’t come to condemn us—He came to save us (Romans 8:1).
Even the most saintly person you can think of—no matter how good they seem—falls short of God’s perfect standard. The Bible tells us plainly:
• “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23, NLT)
• “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10, NLT)
But here’s the good news! God, in His grace, made a way for us to be right with Him:
“Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.” (Romans 3:24-25a, NLT)
Like Zacchaeus, we all have moments when we feel unworthy—when we think our sins or failures are too big for God to forgive. But Jesus sees past our imperfections. He invites us into relationship with Him, not because we are good enough, but because He is.
And this isn’t just a truth for those coming to faith for the first time—it’s a reminder for us as believers too. Even after we’ve experienced the life-changing grace of God, we still stumble and fall short. In those moments, it’s easy to lose sight of His redeeming grace. But Scripture reminds us:
“But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9, NLT).
God’s forgiveness and cleansing are always available to us. His grace didn’t end the moment we first believed—it is active every day, ready to meet us in our struggles and restore us when we turn to Him.
The next time you feel like your mistakes are too many to count, remember this: Jesus has already made everything right. He doesn’t just forgive our sins; He redeems them. He takes what is broken and restores it for His glory. All He asks is that we trust Him, just as Zacchaeus did.
Jesus sees you. He knows your name. And He’s inviting you into a life-changing relationship with Him—a relationship not defined by your past but by His love.
Will you choose today to accept His invitation and rest in His redeeming grace?