But guess what?

None of those failures have changed God’s call on your life one bit. The calling God gave you at birth, the one he reaffirmed when he saved you, is a calling he gives you forever. It’s permanent.

Just look at Paul. Before he became a believer, Paul went into people’s homes, dragged them out into the street, and threw them into jail. He writes in 1 Timothy 1:12-13, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief” (NIV).

But none of that changed God’s call on Paul’s life. And nothing can change God’s call on your life, either.

In fact, God wants to use the pain from your past for his glory today and in the future. God never wastes a hurt. It all fits into his plan.

He can take your mistakes, your sins, and even the sins of others who’ve hurt you and work them all into his plan of redemption. The Bible says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).