If you could ask God just one question and get a clear, even audible, answer–what would you ask?

Why do you allow evil? Why did _________ have to die? When is Jesus coming back? Who do you want me to marry? What should my major be?

I wouldn’t ask the “why evil?” question–mainly because I don’t care to know, but I also think it would be a wasted question. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t understand the answer.

Asking when Jesus is coming back could be another wasted question, because I think the very clear answer would be, “I’m not telling you.”

What I’d love to ask God is this: How am I doing?

Do you ever wonder that? You read your Bible and pray. You try to be generous with your time and money. You love your family. You’re mostly kind and encouraging to others. But you also know you don’t do it all perfectly. If you’re honest, you’re more selfish than you’d like to be. You maybe spend a little too much time in front of the TV or online. And you’re not quite as generous as you could be.

So do you wonder what God thinks of your life? Would you want to know? I would. I think.

I’m preparing for this week’s sermon. The title is “Can God Use Me Even Though I Suck?” It may end up being the sub-title, but it’ll be in there one way or the other.

So I’m thinking a lot about how God views us and the kind of person He uses. Clearly, Jesus was repulsed by the religious and the self-righteous, by those who had their act together and knew it. The religious leaders of His day were more concerned with following the rules and protecting their reputations than truly loving God or anyone else for that matter.

Instead, Jesus was attracted to the “bad” people, the beat up and the burned out. He loved the sick and the sluts and the people who sucked. He loved the poor in spirit. These were the people who loved and followed Jesus. They were the ones He used. And they weren’t the “good” people.

If we look at the Old Testament, we see God didn’t need perfect people there either. Moses was a murderer and a whiner, but God used him to lead a nation. David added adultery to murder, but God said David was “a man after His own heart.” Abraham, more than once, was a pimp for his wife, but God made him the father of the nation of Israel.

God sure doesn’t seem to be looking for the people who are always on their best behavior. If He is, I’ve sure missed it. I see Him looking at the heart. He’s looking for the heart that recognizes its desperate need for Him. He’s looking for the heart that’s seeking after Him. He’s looking for the heart that wants to love Him.

Now that I think about it, maybe I’d change my question. I think I’d ask this: Father, how can I love you more?