Many years ago as a young minister, I visited a church to minister over a weekend. On my way back to Lagos on Sunday after a brief meeting with the youth in that church, a young lady ran after me and said “sir I know you’re in a hurry but I really need to talk to you” Before you could say anything, the Holy said to me “Tell her I love her” so I said to her “God says I should tell you he loves you” and she started crying. I became confused, why are you crying? I asked. In response, she said, “how could God still love someone like me?”
She had been labeled, demonized, and abandoned even by the church as a result of her wayward life. There’s an assumption that she’s not likely to change and she is just a tool of the devil sent to the church but they were wrong! Long story short, today she is a Sunday school teacher in the same. I had the privilege of visiting the church again many years later and my heart leaped for joy sitting under her ministration.
This reminds me of the risk that Ananias had to take on Paul as well. When God told Ananias to go and look for Paul and minister to him he protested “I have heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And we hear that he has arrest warrants with him from the chief priests, authorizing him to arrest every believer in Damascus!” (Acts 9:13-14) but God said, “…Paul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the nations and before kings, as well as to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
How many times have we also turn away men and women whom God would use to birth the future revival simply because right now, they don’t look like it? We would rather preach to the decent-looking person who stands a chance of accepting Jesus than a hardened criminal or the prostitute next door. Yet, God needs men like Ananias who can see beyond their biases and see sinners with the eyes of God, pray for them, and speak to them until God lay hold of them and bring them into his plan for their lives
These men are God’s chosen instruments, don’t leave them to perish!
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