Have you ever wondered, “Can God still use me?”

Maybe you feel like you missed your moment. Maybe there was a time you wished you had spoken up, stepped up, or done something differently. Those moments can leave us wondering if we’ve already missed the life God had for us.

The story of Joseph of Arimathea in the Bible gives a surprising answer.

Joseph was a respected leader and a member of the Jewish council, the very group involved in condemning Jesus. Yet the Gospel of John tells us Joseph was also a disciple of Jesus, “but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders” (John 19:38).

Joseph believed in Jesus, but his faith stayed quiet.

He had influence, reputation, and a lot to lose. And when Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified, Joseph stayed silent. From the outside, it might have looked like Joseph had missed his moment. But then something unexpected happened.

After Jesus died, when many of His closest followers had scattered or were hiding in fear, Joseph stepped forward. Mark 15:43 says Joseph “took courage” and went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

Publicly identifying with someone executed by Rome as a criminal could destroy Joseph’s reputation and standing. Yet Joseph stepped forward anyway. Joseph placed Jesus in his own tomb, a burial place he had prepared for himself (Matthew 27:57–60). He used his resources to provide the linen and burial preparations. He risked his position and reputation to honor Jesus when others stepped back.

Joseph’s story reminds us that God often uses ordinary people who are still figuring things out.

Faith doesn’t always begin with bold public moments, sometimes it starts quietly. But when the moment comes, courage moves belief into action.

The cross has a way of doing that.

When we begin to understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us, it changes how we see everything else. The things we once fought for start to lose their grip, and we begin to see opportunities to live differently.

Joseph may not have been the loudest follower of Jesus, but when the moment came, he stepped up. Even when it feels like you’ve missed your moment, God often gives us another opportunity to step into the story He has written for us.