Click here for printable study notes for Part Four!
Overcoming An Unqualified Mindset
Part Four: An Unqualified Success
We have all heard the phrase: God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called! Technically speaking, this is untrue. After all, does that mean that God doesn’t call people who are qualified for a task? Of course not! In this phrase, call is referring to a command or act of service to God. God uses each part of us as believers. Our areas of expertise, our talents, our interests and ideas; all are utilized by God for His purposes. Rather, this phrase emphasizes that our qualifications as believers are from God, not based on our own abilities.
So does God call the unqualified? The Bible does have standards for certain positions in God’s kingdom, such as pastors and prophets. (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9) These standards are in actuality additional commands of God, not what qualifies a person for their position. According to Romans 3:23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are worthy of being part of the kingdom of God except through Jesus Christ. God makes a habit of calling unqualified people!
God uses our knowledge, our talents, our abilities and our passions to further His kingdom, but frequently, a command or call He gives to us will be outside of our comfort zone. Acting in faith and obedience can be scary when we are focused on our own abilities! The task God sets for us might be something we have never done before. It may be something we are unfamiliar or even uncomfortable with. This is because our obedience to Him is always an act of faith in Him.
It is easy to misplace our faith in ourselves and our own abilities. When we act from a place of faith in ourselves and our abilities, we run the risk of excluding God. When we reject the command of God in our lives and assume control, we step out from under His lordship and protection. We reject His position as Lord of our lives. When we pursue our own plans and desires rather than God’s we set ourselves in His place. We become our own god. It is essential that our actions be rooted in faith in God and not ourselves. When we surrender to the lordship of Jesus, He protects us from our own pride. God helps us to grow spiritually by teaching us to rely on our faith in His ability, which supersedes our own.
Don’t let your unqualified opinion disqualify you for something God has qualified you for! God promises that He will equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 13:21) You cannot fail when you are acting in obedience to God. There is no deficiency that He can’t nullify. The power of God within you gives you the ability to achieve any task that He sets you too. Philippians 4:13 says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. When you recognize the strength and ability of God and respond with faith in Him, it becomes easy to act in obedience. God sees you as you are and says that through Jesus, you are qualified for everything He asks you to do. You are good enough because of one thing that takes precedence over everything else. You are HIS.
~Dana Smith