Do you ever wish you could change parts of your past, your circumstances, or the things that make you feel inadequate? It’s easy to believe that our weaknesses, disappointments, family struggles, or painful experiences make us less useful to God. But the Bible reminds us that God doesn’t require a perfect past or impressive qualifications to work through our lives. He calls us to trust Him and take the next step in faith, even when we don’t feel equipped.

In Judges 6:15-16, Gideon questions how God could use someone with his background and limitations, but God responds with a promise: “I will be with you.” This powerful reminder shows us that our usefulness to God depends not on our strength, but on His presence. Although we don’t have to pretend painful experiences were good, we can trust God to redeem our stories, shape our character, and use even the parts we wish were different to grow our faith and help others.

Highlights

• Why we often view our weaknesses, painful experiences, and limitations as reasons God cannot use us

• What Gideon’s story in Judges 6:15-16 teaches us about trusting God when we feel inadequate

• Why God’s presence matters more than our qualifications, abilities, or past experiences

• How difficult seasons can develop compassion, humility, wisdom, and deeper dependence on God

• Why trusting God’s redemption doesn’t require us to pretend painful experiences were good

• How 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness

• Encouragement to stop treating your past as a disqualification and trust God to use your story for His purposes

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Full Transcript Below:

God Can Use the Part of Your Story You Wish Were Different 

By Sarah Frazer

Bible Reading:
And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” - Judges 6:15-16

If God had handed twenty-four-year-old Sarah a list of everything she would eventually be responsible for, she might have handed it right back. As a young new mom, I had no idea the journey God would put me on as I started out through motherhood.  I did not feel particularly equipped to bring a newborn home that spring morning, but I did. 

As the years moved on, I found myself adding more and more children (we ended up with five). Homeschooling was next on the agenda, and then God gave us a special-needs daughter. After that, God moved our family to a foreign country, then moved us back. So many parts of my story I have wished to be different. There were moments of tears and heartache. In those times, I didn’t really see how God would use this part. Of my….

Most of us have circumstances, weaknesses, disappointments, and limitations we would change if we could. We assume that these unwanted parts of our life make us less useful to God. So many years later, I’m learning that we often believe God needs a more qualified version of us, but in reality, He only needs a willing heart. 

Gideon looked at his own story and saw reasons God couldn't use him. God saw something entirely different. In Judges 6:14-15, we read that God calls Gideon to rescue the Israelites from the Midianites. Gideon’s immediate response was to list all of the reasons why he shouldn’t be God’s leader. Gideon essentially asks, How could someone with my background possibly do this?

We do something similar when we look at our past, personality, family circumstances, weaknesses, disappointments, or lack of resources. We often see our limitations as disqualifications. But. God didn’t change Gideon’s story before he called him. God’s answer to Gideon is the same answer God gives us. Judges 6:16 says, “But I will be with you.” 

Notice that God didn’t correct Gideon's assessment of his circumstances. What Gideon said was true. He was who he said he was. God didn’t change anything about Gidoen’s family, background, or resume. It would be God's presence—not Gideon's qualifications—that would make the difference.

God doesn't need to rewrite your past before He can use your present.

The Bible is filled with the truth that God works with those who are weak. God does not use us despite our weakness, but through our weakness. He does this so His strength is visible and He gets the glory! 

Not only that, but parts of your story have provided deep spiritual growth in your life. There might be things you learned, experienced, and grown in while facing the hardships that you wouldn’t have otherwise done. If you removed the hard parts of your past, you might not have developed the compassion you now have. Or maybe you learned dependence and humility in a deeper way. God certainly grants us wisdom and faith while going through storms. 

We may not always understand why God allowed something, and we don't need to call painful things good. But we can trust that God is able to redeem what we would never have chosen.

Your weakness does not limit God's strength. Gideon's confidence couldn't ultimately come from discovering something impressive about himself. It came from God’s presence. If God is asking you to do a new type of work, step into a new role, or take on more responsibility, remember that it isn’t about “being enough.” It is all about God's promise: “I will be with you.”

When our usefulness in God's kingdom rests more on His sufficiency than ours, we find that we are already equipped for what God is calling us to do. 

Maybe there is a chapter of your life you still wish you could rewrite. You don't have to pretend it didn't hurt or wish it had happened differently. But you also don't have to believe it disqualifies you.

The God who looked at Gideon in all his weakness and said, “I will be with you,” is still the God who works through imperfect people and imperfect stories today. If I could sit beside that twenty-four-year-old version of myself today, I wouldn't hand her a list of everything coming. That would be overwhelming! Honestly, I wouldn't even give her a warning. Preparing for hardship doesn’t often help. Instead, I would simply say: God is with you. He always has been and always will be.

Looking back, I can see that God didn't always change the circumstances I wished were different. Instead, he used them to change me. Yes, some will be hard, but in the hard things, there will be so many good things. God’s goodness shines so bright when we rest in His character!

Friend, those parts of your story have made you who you are. God does not make mistakes. Even if you wish you had a different background, different abilities, different circumstances, or even a different personality, God is ready and willing right now to use you. He has created you with care and love. Nothing He does is a mistake!  

Gideon's story reminds us that God isn't searching for the person with the perfect résumé. He is looking for people willing to trust Him. Whatever God places in front of you today, you don't need to know whether you are strong enough. You only need to remember the promise that was enough for Gideon: “I will be with you.”

Intersecting Faith & Life:

What parts of your story do you wish were different?  Do you use these things as excuses not to follow God’s call in your life? Today, ask God to help you trust that He is with you. His presence is enough. 

Further Reading:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 

Exodus 4:10-12 

Psalm 139:13-16

Ephesians 2:10