“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:18-19b

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Allen Iverson got caught up in a huge brawl at a bowling alley when he was 17 years old. He went to jail for his crimes, leading some people to think his life was ruined and he wouldn’t ever fulfill his potential to be a great professional athlete.

But his life was like an unfinished painting as he sat in that cell with no freedom and a dim future. He was originally sentenced to 15 years and expected to spend at least five years behind bars, but Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder granted him clemency. Iverson was released after four months and he then earned his high school diploma at an alternative school.

Soon, Allen went to Georgetown University where he excelled as a player and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the first overall pick in 1996. He led the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001. He also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies. He stood only 6 feet tall in the valley of the giants in the NBA, but often scored more points than most guys much taller than him, capturing four scoring titles. He was an 11-time All-Star during his 14-year NBA career, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. Many people are inspired by Iverson’s story of success after an arguably bad beginning.

When we make hasty judgments about the character of people, we’re often looking at a person in the beginning or middle of their lives, and we don’t see the whole story as God does. If someone saw us during our most embarrassing moments, we wouldn’t want them to give an evaluation of our entire lives based upon one bad decision or one fit of anger. However, we often disqualify people from society based upon a slanted view of the real person. Though consequences are part of mistakes and wrongdoing, we all need another chance to learn to do better and change direction after stumbling.

The Bible is full of stories of second chances and using flawed people for God’s glory. In Exodus, we see God forgiving Moses after he killed the Egyptian, though He did allow Moses live for 40 years in Midian as an exile. Afterward, He called Moses  to become one of the most important leaders in history.

When Jonah refused to preach in Nineveh as God called him to, the Lord put him in the belly of a whale. But He showed mercy after he repented and allowed Jonah to preach again.

After John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas on a mission trip, he repented and God forgave him. The Holy Spirit inspired him and used his life to write the Gospel of Mark as a testimony to all generations.

We need to be slow to cast judgment on the value or potential of a life — only God knows the heart and can judge a life. None of us are perfect, and yet God can and will still use us when we are surrendered to Him. We are not our past, nor the middle of our journeys. God gets the final say in how our lives will play out, we just need a willing heart. He alone sees the whole picture.

Just as Psalm 66:6 encourages us, we should tell the world of what God has done in our lives and listen to the stories of others. God uses personal testimonies as a powerful tool to reveal His character and transforming grace, to encourage believers, and to draw others to faith.

— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia

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