For God to Use You, Get Right with Him

God uses all kinds of vessels—big ones, little ones, ornate ones, plain ones, expensive ones, and ordinary ones. He uses all kinds of personalities, backgrounds, and experiences. But there is one kind of vessel God will not use. He will not use a dirty vessel. Pastor, if you’re going to be used by God, you’re going to have to do a little cleanup work first.

The Bible says, “If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 NLT).

More than anything, pastor, I know you want God to use you. It isn’t the best preachers who get used by God. It isn’t the best leaders. It isn’t the most spiritual pastors. God uses those leaders who regularly get right with him.

Right before they crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land, Joshua told the Israelites, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do great wonders among you” (Joshua 3:5 NLT). If you want God to do something great in your future, you’ve got to start by settling the accounts of the past.

It doesn’t mean you have to be perfect—because no one is. But it does mean you need to be quick to confess and receive forgiveness when needed. Augustine said, “The confession of bad works is the beginning of good works.” God wants to do something incredible through you. But he’s going to start by dealing with your past. You’ve got to confess your sin to him.

By following these six steps, you will be on the way to a clear conscience and a God-blessed ministry.

1. Review every area of your life. Get away with a Bible, a piece of paper, and a pen. Ask God to let you know what’s coming between you and him. Don’t rush it. Take your time and write it all down. Nobody will see this. It’s between you and God.
   
2. Repent of every sin. Take responsibility for every sin you’ve written down. Don’t rationalize them. Don’t minimize them. Tell God that what you did was a sin and that you won’t do it anymore. Real repentance isn’t apologizing for your sin. It’s admitting it, turning away from it, and accepting God’s grace for it.
   
3. Make restitution. As you make your list, notice the sins that have impacted other people. Maybe you’ve hurt someone or mistreated him. If the person is still alive, make it right – as soon as possible. Don’t just apologize either. If you’ve stolen from the person, give back what you’ve taken. If you’ve cheated somebody, repay him.
   
4. Receive God’s forgiveness. Now you’re ready to receive God’s forgiveness. The Bible says you can go boldly to the throne of God and receive grace and mercy. God won’t reject you or scold you. He’ll give you his grace. That’s a promise from his Word (1 John 1:9).
   
5. Reveal your faults to a friend. You need to come clean with someone. If you don’t come clean with another person, you’ll still be forgiven—but coming clean to another person is part of the process God uses to heal us emotionally. Find another person that you trust (maybe another pastor) and let that person know what you’ve done.
   
6. Repeat these steps regularly. Confession is like a bath. If you don’t take one regularly, you’ll start to stink. Make confession a regular habit in your life.
   

Pastor, God wants to bless your life and your ministry. Will you get right with him today?