He Qualifies Me

Have you ever had this thought, “I just can’t do it.” Thought so. Me too. 

And as if that thought wasn’t enough to shut down the courage machine, others come flooding in. I’m not good enough. Experienced enough. Strong enough. Smart enough. Old enough. Obedient enough. Faith filled enough. Faithful enough. 

You fill in the blank. The bottom line is, “I am not enough.” And therefore, “I am not qualified.” 

When Dave and I were mid-air, jumping from one calling to another. From one church to another. From one state to another. From one people to another. From one culture to another, not knowing who or where “another” was. I looked at a dear friend and said, “What if I don’t have what is takes to do this? What if I am not enough?” They were all questions around feeling qualified to follow God’s call.

But then I realized God qualifies those he calls. And we have all been called. 

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine’” (Isaiah 43:1 NLT).

He sees you. He summons you by name. He saves you and then sets your feet on a path of purpose.

I am amazed that in John 4, we see a woman go from living in habitual sin for decades to becoming a living testimony of impact on her own community, instantly!

She doesn’t think twice. She doesn’t count herself out. She goes and speaks of the goodness of Jesus for he saw her. He spoke to her. He offered her a second chance. And before we know it, she starts to have instant Kingdom impact. 

We see this in the life of Gideon too. Gideon was a man that God saw as a warrior but he saw himself as weak. He questioned his qualifications but God qualified him for the task ahead with his presence and his purposeful words.

“The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:11-12).

Gideon was hiding while he worked when an angel came calling him a mighty warrior. When Gideon questioned his call, claiming his weakness, God called out Gideon’s purpose and promised his presence. 

So where does that leave us? Do you feel qualified for impact? Do you feel like you are not enough? Because guess what.

God will qualify you for whatever he calls you to. He speaks your new identity upon you and promises his presence to be with you. There is nothing he calls you to that you cannot do. 

Let’s stop disqualifying ourselves and let our Lord qualify us! Let’s pray with his persistence, love with his heart, share with his courage, step out with his faith, dream with his power, live out his truth and see his Kingdom come. On earth as it is in heaven. Like the Samaritan woman’s village, let’s see our community, our mountain come alive to God.

REFLECT

• When have you disqualified yourself from something you felt God calling you to? Describe.

• Right now, is there something, some dream, some invitation that God is laying on your heart? Before you count yourself out. Just write it down. And then start to pray about it.

REQUEST

Jesus, awaken our hearts to you and the dreams you have for us. Thank you that you qualify us for whatever you call us to. Show us how you desire to use us for impact right where we are planted. Use us to help our mountain come alive to you! Amen.