One thing is certain. God uses flawed people for his purposes, and some of the most flawed ones are in the Bible. They include:
- Moses, an ill-tempered shepherd turned leader
- David, an adulterer and murderer
- Elijah, a depressed prophet
- Peter, an impulsive and prideful disciple
- Saul/Paul, a pharisee who persecuted Christians
Yet, God used them to accomplish great things.
Moses
Moses had a terrible temper that caused him serious problems throughout his life. He also had a speech impediment that affected his ability to speak to the Israelites. Yet, God chose him to lead the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt and through the desert toward the Promised Land. (Read summaries of Moses' life or see his story in the biblical book of Exodus to learn more.)
He grew up in a pharaoh's palace as an Egyptian prince. However, he was forced to flee Egypt after flying into a rage and killing an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. He lived as a shepherd for many years until God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. After refusing God several times, he finally accepted the call.
God sent Moses to ask the pharaoh to free the Israelites, but the Egyptian leader refused until God sent 10 terrible plagues on Egypt. Following the 10th plague, the pharaoh relented. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red or Reed Sea. Later, he received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. But again, his temper flared up. When he returned from Mount Sinai with the tablets, he found the Israelites worshipping a golden calf and broke the commandments in a fit of rage.
Despite his flaws, Moses was a great leader guided by God and is considered the Jewish people's greatest prophet.
David
David is one of the most flawed yet compelling men in the Bible, as revealed in the Old Testament books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. He was a man of contradictions who, with God's help, made Israel a great nation and a feared military power. However, David also allowed personal friendships and allegiances to affect his public duties, was prone to anger and could be prideful. Even worse, he slept with the wife of one of his soldiers, and when she became pregnant, he had the soldier killed so he could marry her.
God was enraged by these sins but forgave the repentant king. He did not, however, withhold punishment. David led a tumultuous life. Four of his children died, one son betrayed him, and he experienced other hardships in his personal and professional life. Were these hardships just part of life, or were they God's punishment? It's impossible to know for certain.
However, God never gave up on David. As the Bible explains, "The Lord sees not as a man sees; man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
Elijah
After entering the Promised Land, the Israelites were ruled by kings. Following Solomon's reign, the kingdom of Israel split into northern and southern sections, and people in the northern part quickly turned to idol worship. God called the prophet Elijah to turn them away from paganism. (Read Elijah's story in the Old Testament books of the 1st and 2nd Kings.)
Elijah's major flaw, if it can be considered a flaw, was depression, which in biblical times was problematic. However, he was a faithful prophet who prayed often and hard and obeyed God's call to end pagan worship. The king of northern Israel had married a pagan princess who contaminated the worship of God Almighty with false gods. When Elijah traveled to the kingdom, he didn't mince words. Rather, he proclaimed that the drought that was plaguing the land was God's punishment for their idol worship.
He also met more than 400 Baal prophets in a competition to reveal the true God. Elijah and the Baal prophets placed sacrifices and wood on altars to Baal and God, and each side tried to start a fire. The Baal priests repeatedly failed in their efforts, but God quickly answered Elijah's prayers by lighting a fire on the altar Elijah had built. The Israelites, under Elijah's direction, then killed the Baal priests and prophets, and the drought ended as rain fell.
Simon Peter (aka Peter)
Simon Peter, more commonly known as Peter, was an impulsive and prideful disciple who was also impatient and prone to anger. Worst of all, he denied Christ during Christ's arrest, trial and execution. Despite these flaws, he was one of Christ's closest disciples and played an important role in the early church. (Read more about Peter in the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts.)
The future apostle was a rough fisherman when Christ called him to be a disciple. He had astounding moments with the Lord, but at other times, his flaws were evident. When he and several other disciples saw Christ walking on water, Peter impulsively volunteered to walk toward the Lord. He was the only one to attempt, but his faith faltered, and he began to sink. Later, Peter preached to non-Jews, called Gentiles, despite the fact that Jews considered them unclean. One day, he was eating with a group of Gentiles when several Jews approached. His response was to pull away from the new converts.
Despite his faults, Peter was one of the first disciples Jesus called and one of the first that Jesus ordained in the early church. The Catholic Church considers Peter their first pope, and denominations such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, and the Anglican and Lutheran churches hold him in the highest regard. Protestants consider Peter one of the most prominent and influential leaders in the early church, but they reject the Catholic Church's beliefs about his papacy.
Saul/Paul
Saul of Tarsus was a hard-hearted member of the Pharisees, an ancient Jewish sect that strictly observed written and traditional laws. He zealously tracked down Christians and imprisoned or killed them. But then he became one, and God used him in great ways. (Read more about Saul/Paul in the New Testament books of 1 Corinthians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Acts, Romans and Ephesians
The change occurred when Saul was going to Damascus to imprison and otherwise terrorize Christians. Before he could reach his destination, a light blinded him, and he heard the risen Christ say, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" (Acts 9:4). Saul eventually made his way to Damascus and began his first steps toward Christian ministry. He is better known to us by the Latinized version of his name, Paul.
Paul's ministry covered much of first-century Europe and Asia Minor, where he started several churches. Christian tradition says that some of Paul's letters to those churches became New Testament books, including Romans, Corinthians, Thessalonians and Philippians. Despite his faults, Paul is considered by many to be the greatest missionary and evangelist for Christ who ever lived.
The stories of Moses, David, Elijah, Peter, and Paul serve as powerful reminders that God doesn’t require perfection to accomplish His purposes—He seeks willing hearts. Each of these figures faced deep personal struggles and committed significant mistakes, yet God redeemed their lives and used them in extraordinary ways to advance His kingdom.
Their journeys remind us that no failure is too great, no sin too profound, and no flaw too debilitating for God’s transformative grace. That should be a relief and bring joy to us all.
