Don’t Count Anyone Out!

Click here for printable version of this article

In John 1:46, Nathaniel asked a question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nazareth was a small, unimpressive town. It had no reputation for greatness or cultural influence. In the minds of many, nothing significant could emerge from such a place. Nathaniel’s question revealed more about human judgment than divine possibility.

We are often tempted to measure potential by location, background, or circumstance. Certain neighborhoods, families, and schools have been labeled as not good enough because of their locations. Some assume that where someone comes from determines how far they can go. I’m thankful that human assumptions have never confined God.

I understand this personally. I grew up in an area many considered dangerous. In my early teens, I was surrounded by circumstances that could easily have defined me. Some people quietly, and others not so quietly, counted me out. They believed that nothing good could come out of the Desire Projects in the 9th Ward of New Orleans. But what they did not know was that I was not shaped by where I came from; I was shaped by the God who had His hand on my life.

Scripture reminds us, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). God loves to overturn human expectations. He chooses unlikely people and unexpected paths to reveal His glory. What the world dismisses, God often selects.

Jesus Himself is the most outstanding example. The Savior of the world did not grow up in Jerusalem, Rome, or any prominent city. He was raised in Nazareth, a town so insignificant that it drew skepticism and scorn. Yet God chose that humble place to prepare the King of kings. From a city no one respected came the Redeemer everyone needed.

This truth should encourage all of us. Your past does not disqualify you. Your zip code does not limit you. Your beginnings do not determine your destiny. God specializes in bringing greatness out of obscurity and purpose out of places others overlook.

So, when voices, whether internal or external, suggest that nothing good can come from where you’ve been, remember Nazareth. Remember the cross and remember your own story. Don’t count yourself out when God has already counted you in. Some of the most incredible testimonies come from places others least expect, all so God alone can get the glory. Don’t count anyone out whom God has counted in.

Elder Shirley Freeman