Congratulations, You're UNQUALIFIED: Lessons in stepping into God’s High Calling
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
God is asking you to do something that’s way beyond your skill, intellect, and strength. It’s something wonderful, impactful, but also terrifying. You give God your contact list of everyone who seems better fit or more qualified for the job description. But God is making it very clear that He’s calling YOU to do it.
What do you do?
Do you shrink back and ask God to find another worthy candidate or do you confidently step forward telling God, “Challenge Accepted.”
I can’t even begin to count how many times God has called or asked me to do something that was completely beyond my capabilities and qualifications. One of the biggest and most memorable tasks was me leading a 10 month bible study group of 16 women all who were old enough to be my mother and grandmother.
I knew at some point, I would be asked to do this. I had already ran from this task years prior while I was living in California three times. When God asked me again, I was terrified because I didn’t feel remotely qualified because of:
My Age
Lack of leadership experience
Biblical knowledge
Other insecurities and excuses
Yet, God, His Word, and even confirmation from a few others told me that I was the “perfect” candidate to take this task on. Yes, a young woman who has ZERO Bible leadership experience or qualities was considered “qualified” by God.
After going back and forth with God about why He picked the wrong girl to lead these women, there’s was nothing more I could say. He word was final and reluctantly, I said, “Yes.”
I honestly stumbled and fumbled through those months as I wrestled with my abilities or lack thereof to lead. But I realized that God was with me every step of the way. He strengthened me when I didn’t have the strength to lead. He encouraged me when I felt discouraged. He helped me to be bold when I wanted to run and hide.
God had taught me valuable lessons about who He is and why it was essential that I depend on Him. God built my confidence and taught me to not be afraid of others' faces (Jeremiah 1:8).
The biggest lesson of all was that God’s strength was made perfect in my weakness (2 Corinthians 12:). God already knew that I felt unqualified and honestly I was. But that was the beauty of it.
My unqualification was the platform for God to display His transformative work in me and glory to others.
God took what looked like unqualification and made me the perfect candidate to see what God can do through me while impacting the lives of other people.
My un-qualification cleared me of any pride or self-given wisdom that I would have if I deemed myself to be qualified to begin with.
How would God get the glory if I relied on my strength, skill, and intellect to complete the work that He wanted me to do that’s made to go beyond myself?
He wouldn’t because as a fallen, fragile, and finite-minded sinner, I would’ve attempted to take the glory for myself thinking that it was me that did everything instead of God. Now, this isn’t to say that you can not be qualified in certain things because in life, there are certain qualifications that you need to have to keep up with the demand of certain tasks and hold certain positions. However, I know that when it comes to doing certain tasks and walking the LORD’s God-sized plans, there are some things that our natural talent, skills, intellect, and wits won’t be able to carry us or at least but so far.
God is the one who deems us qualified even if we don’t see or feel it. He’s more interested in our availability than our ability. It’s okay to feel unqualified. What’s not okay is to disqualify yourself from what God is willing to give you the ability to do.
Say YES to God in what He’s asking even if you have no idea how or what you’re doing. He’ll promise to lead and guide you always with this promise:
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”(Isaiah 41:10)
Is God calling or asking you to do something that you feel completely unqualified for? How does it feel knowing that God still finds you qualified even when it feels like you're not? I’d like to know. Share your thoughts with me on the blog.
