Unlikely Heroes of the Bible: God Uses Imperfect People
I recently met a younger friend for coffee, and we caught up on the past few months. Since I’d last seen her, she’d surrendered her life to Christ, and the transformation was beautiful. She was also having trouble forgiving herself for the decisions she made when she wasn’t walking with Christ. As I reflected on the conversation, I was reminded of the many unlikely heroes of the Bible.
These people didn’t appear to be qualified to lead others. But God doesn’t choose those who are wise and strong according to worldly standards.
He chooses the weak.
He chooses sinful people who know they need a Savior and are willing to depend upon him.
Today, we’ll learn about 10 unlikely heroes of the Bible. May these words encourage you. God wants to use you.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook that will help you establish a rhythm of connecting with the presence of the life-giving God daily.
10 Unlikely Heroes of the Bible
Let’s begin in the Old Testament and travel through God’s Word as we consider the people God chooses to fulfill his plans on earth.
Unlikely Heroes of the Bible: God Uses Broken People
1. Moses
Moses was a Hebrew by birth. When an Egyptian princess discovered him floating down the Nile River in a basket, he was taken into the king’s palace and raised as an Egyptian.
Protective of his Hebrew heritage, as a young man, Moses murdered an Egyptian who was beating a fellow Hebrew. Moses was zealous for the Lord, but he was also immature. God did not call him to murder the Egyptian, and in doing so, Moses sinned against God.
Furthermore, Moses didn’t speak well. Some scholars believe he stuttered. When God called Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt, he permitted his brother Aaron to speak for him. Together, God used them to lead his people out of slavery and toward the Promised Land.
Despite Moses’ imperfect past and personal weaknesses, God used him for one of the most amazing deliverance stories recorded in the history of the world.
2. Jacob
Jacob’s name means “deceiver.” Jacob is known for tricking his twin brother, Esau, into selling his birthright for a bowl of soup. This birthright gave Jacob the role of family leader and doubled his inheritance.
Later, Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, and stole Esau’s blessing as well.
After stealing the blessing, Jacob fled from home, fearing Esau’s wrath. In the wilderness, he wrestled with God throughout a long, dark night. God injured Jacob’s hip and also gave him a new name: Israel.
God broke Jacob’s spirit and commissioned him into a new role. As an older man, Israel’s 12 sons became the 12 forefathers of the nation bearing their father’s name: Israel.
Jacob’s story shoes that God uses sinful people. We also learn that God often breaks us to humble us before we can be used for his glory.
3. Rahab
Rahab was a prostitute who lived in the formidable wall surrounding the fortress of Jericho. When the Hebrews sent spies to plan their attack against the city, Rahab protected the spies by hiding them and helping them escape.
To repay her for her kindness, the Hebrews spared her life—and the lives of her family members—when they attacked Jericho. She eventually became a follower of God and was even in the lineage of Jesus.
Rahab is listed in the famous “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 as a hero of the faith. From her example, we learn that God can use anyone for his glory.
No matter how imperfect your past—or present—might be, God is pursuing you. He has a plan for you. He wants you to obey him, and he invites you to follow him.
No matter how imperfect your past—or present—might be, God is pursuing you. He has a plan for you. He wants you to obey him, and he invites you to follow him. #trust #faith Share on X4. David
David was known as a man after God’s heart. However, he also sexually violated another man’s wife and murdered the man to hide his guilt.
He repented and God forgave him, but strife and bloodshed followed his family for generations.
David’s story shows us that God can even use rapists and murders for his purposes.
The key to David’s success was his repentant, humble heart. He owned up to his sin when the prophet Nathan called him out. He confessed it to God, and God forgave him.
David’s story teaches us that no sin is too great for God to forgive. If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful to forgive us. Furthermore, he can use us to fulfill his purpose and might even call us to lead others.
5. Jonah
When God called Jonah to share his words with the nation of Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship to Tarshish and headed in the opposite direction. He literally ran from God.
This didn’t stop God’s plan from unfolding in his life. Jonah was swallowed by a giant fish. When the fish spat him out, he obeyed God and went to Nineveh.
This seems like an outlandish story to us today. Could someone really survive in the belly of a fish for three days?
We don’t have answers to these questions, but we can still learn from Jonah’s story: When God calls us to obey, we should follow him, not run in the opposite direction. If we run, God will use drastic means to call us to obedience.
6. Amos
Amos was a shepherd and a caretaker of sycamore-fig trees in the land of Judah. He wasn’t a prophet or priest. He was a working man, tending flocks and caring for trees in a rural area. Amos wasn’t an expected prophet.
Nevertheless, God called him to share a prophetic message with the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He spoke against Israel’s injustice toward the poor, religious hypocrisy, pride, and idolatry.
Amos reminds us that God uses people of every profession and social class for his purposes.
7. Gideon
Gideon was another unlikely hero of the Bible. He was a farmer from the tribe of Manasseh. He was timid, uncertain of his ability to lead others.
God told Gideon to raise up an army and go to war against the Midianites. Gideon resisted, repeatedly asking God for signs. God offered these signs, and Gideon led the people to victory.
Gideon’s story shows that God uses weak, hesitant people to accomplish extraordinary feats.
Sadly, Gideon eventually drifted away from God. He asked the people to create a gold ephod—a priestly garment—and it became a center for false worship. This led to even greater idolatry after Gideon died.
Gideon’s story reminds us that starting well is not enough. We must remain aligned with God to finish well.
Unlikely Heroes of the Bible in the New Testament
8. Matthew
Matthew was a tax collector, despised by Jews as a traitor. Tax collectors were notoriously deceptive. Nevertheless, Jesus called Matthew to follow him.
Matthew became one of Jesus’ closest disciples and followers. He wrote the first book of the New Testament.
9. Peter
Peter was another one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He was working as a fisherman in Galilee when Jesus called him and his brother Andrew to follow him.
Peter was a natural leader, but he also had weaknesses. He was impulsive and overly emotional at times.
When Jesus spoke of his impending death on the cross, Peter rebuked him. Jesus looked at Peter and declared, “Get behind me, Satan!”
Peter is also known for denying Jesus three times the night of the crucifixion.
Nevertheless, God used Peter in powerful ways. He became a powerful preacher and miracle worker. The book of Acts describes Peter preaching at Pentecost, and 3,000 people were saved.
10. Paul
Paul was originally known as Saul. A Jewish zealot, he persecuted followers of Jesus, even bearing witness to the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
After an encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, Saul became known as Paul, and he was forever changed. He became a passionate follower of Christ and wrote at least 13 books of the New Testament.
Paul’s experience reveals a defining truth: One encounter with Jesus can transform a critic into a follower.
Reflections on These Unlikely Heroes of the Bible
Your past might not be perfect. Maybe you’ve rejected—and even mocked, Christianity. God is still pursuing you. He wants to transform your identity, fill you with a sense of purpose, and use you.
He is calling you to respond to his pursuit by humbling yourself and admitting that you need him. All people sin and fall short of God’s perfection. None of us deserve to be called by him or used by him.
I can personally attest to this. God has used the most broken parts of my past to minister to others who are wrestling with the same issues. God doesn’t call us to be perfect; he calls us to be fully dependent upon him. He can use any person for his purposes. He wants to use you, too.
The first step is humbling ourselves in his presence, admitting we have fallen short, and asking for him to forgive us. When Jesus died on the cross, he bore the punishment we deserve for our sins. God poured out his wrath on Jesus instead of us.
By receiving Jesus as Savior and asking him to lead our lives, we are spared from God’s wrath; we also position ourselves as his vessels. He wants to use us to carry his hope and love into the world.
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Be Still and Trust: Download Your Free eBook Here
Do you long to find space to draw near to God while struggling to make this practice a regular part of your life? The secret is establishing a daily rhythm that makes this time habitual, a routine that becomes as natural as eating, drinking, and sleeping. Be Still and Trust offers daily devotions for those who long for rest and renewal—devotions for peace in our hurried and stress-filled lives.
These short devotions are invitations into God’s rest when facing the daily battles that tend to steal our peace. Download it for free right here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
