Who God calls, He qualifies...not by human standards.

God doesn't call people whom the world would deem “fit” to be used by Him in any specific way. This is because His standards and ways are very different from ours. (See Isaiah 55: 8-9). 1Corinthians 1: 25-29 reads, "...that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence."

 

This is a powerful scripture. You see He doesn’t choose the most outstanding individuals...neither does He call the wisest, most intelligent, or even well-spoken humans.  Even the way you look on the outside is not a criterion. The Bible tells us that “man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

 

When we study the lives of Abraham, Moses, Rahab, David, Jesus’ twelve apostles, Paul...to mention but a few...we'll find a commonality: none of them would have been regarded as qualified to be used by God.

Abraham came from a family of pagans who didn't recognize and worship God. Moses had a lot of issues...for one, he had a bad temper and he had killed someone before he fled Egypt. David was the least "kingly" of his brothers that even when Samuel was sent by God to go to the house of Jesse and anoint the future king of Israel, David wasn't even considered. He was just a shepherd boy. Jesus' disciples were about the lowliest men in Israel at that time. They were ordinary men...not men the elders and elite in the land at that time would have wanted in their inner caucus. Paul was a Christian-killer before He became a missionary. Rahab who was also used by God was a harlot...so was Mary Magdalene...who in the end was the first person Jesus appeared to after His resurrection. She took the good news of His resurrection to His disciples.

 

One of the world’s most beloved women of God, a woman God is using mightily to touch and change lives – Joyce Meyer, has spoken openly about her past life, the years of sexual abuse she faced as a child (by her own father) and the resultant effect it had on her emotionally, psychologically and behaviorally.

I'm sure many of us personally know people whom God is using in different ways, who in the past were totally messed up, and probably even written-off as being worthless.

God has never called anyone that is perfect to serve Him. The fact is no human is perfect. We all have our inadequacies and flaws. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory; the Bible tells us...that is why we need His salvation. Jesus was the only perfect being who walked the earth and only He could have made the sacrifice He did for our redemption. And even after we accept Jesus into our lives, we are being saved every day. Every day we are being changed to conform more and more to God's image. Proverbs 4:18 states “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.”

 

Truly, it is the grace of God that qualifies us to be used by Him, not our goodness. This grace He freely gives us on account of our faith in Jesus. Grace is a free gift..it can never be earned!

 Look closely at all the people I mentioned from the Bible and you will discover that they all had one thing in common: they had faith in God. This faith is what made it possible for them to be used by God. He called them and they believed and yielded to His call. Their faith is what they needed to be qualified…and He gave them the grace to carry out the assignment He placed them on earth for.

God has given every child of God (everyone who truly has accepted Jesus into his/her life, and has made the decision to follow Jesus) a specific grace to carry out a specific assignment. Yours may not be preaching on a pulpit, or mounting some stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people to sing or talk. However, you do have a God-given calling. The woman at the well of Samaria was used by God to bring Jesus into the whole of Samaria...Samarians were gentiles. And she too had a far from spotless life. Rahab’s assignment was to hide the two men that Joshua sent out to spy the land of Jericho from being seen and possibly killed by the King (See Joshua 2). The widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17 did what God asked her to do for the prophet Elijah and received a blessing in the end.

 

What am I saying?

 

There is something God has called you to do…a purpose, an assignment He has placed in you. According to Romans 8: 19 “creation is waiting for the sons of God to be manifested.” God has called you (child of God) to manifest (to and for His glory) and you must do so. Do not look at your imperfections or your circumstances.  You are qualified because of your faith in Him. Your duty is to stay rooted in faith and yielded to the Holy Spirit whom He has given to help us in our weaknesses.  Not that you should continue in sin, so that grace will abound. But do not resign yourself to your weakness, faults and flaws; do not think yourself disqualified. Keep depending on the grace to help you overcome and live above your faults. Also believe that God will supply all that is needed and more, for you to carry out this assignment.

 

You do not have to be perfect for God to use you…be available and He will perfect all that concerns you.

 

Let go and let God work His purpose in and through you!