“Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.”
Mark 16:9 (ESV)

Have you ever felt like God could not use you?
We read about John the Baptist, Paul and Esther and we are in awe of their faith- forgetting they were still human.
But what about other Christians of the Bible who are not known primarily for their faith but their flaws and failures?

After a trip to Kenya that left me battling a reaction to medication mentally and physically, I questioned not only my ability to be used by God, but my ability to survive. Then I thought marriage would fix me. When that fell apart, I was left feeling broken again. How was God going to rebuild me? How was God going to use my story?

In this journey of healing I have discovered something beautiful- a friend. Her name is Mary. I have never met her, but to me her story is one of the most remarkable.

Mary Magdalene is not remembered for actions of courage, faith, or even obedience. If you mention Mary Magdalene it is always paired with demon possession. And for good reason- she housed seven. And yet, when Jesus arose, he appeared to a group of women, who included Mary, FIRST- the very woman who had housed Jesus’ enemy! Not only had she sheltered wickedness, she was a woman. In Jewish culture, a Savior would not have been expected to reveal himself to women after conquering death. It would have been against society.

Yet here we see Jesus breaking the mold of the social norm, as He does so many times. He chooses to reach past the boundaries that divide all of us and bring all to repentance, forgiveness and faith.

Mary Magdalene was no different.

We are not told much about Mary before she followed the Lord; however, we can assume that she was an outcast because of her condition. I’m sure that even after her conversion people had a hard time accepting and loving Mary.

But not Jesus.

In fact, Jesus believed in Mary and loved her so much- He chose to reveal Himself to her after He conquered death and hell. That’s not to say He loved her anymore than anyone else, but He certainly didn’t love her any less. And who better to relate to that than someone who had been possessed by hell for years and then freed from that bondage? Mary understood Jesus’ resurrection in a way few could.

We are loved. We are redeemable. And we are useful to God.

In my past experiences, I see the hand of God. His protection, His provision and His gentle enveloping of my heart. His whisper, “If you knew how much I loved you, you would never doubt your worth.”

Let us learn that trial, a past and brokenness does not make us inoperable, it makes us relatable.
When satan calls you useless know that God has a purpose for your life.