Who Me? I’m Not Worthy! (NOT)

Greetings again!  It has been a while since my last post as I somehow got a ransom ware virus on my personal computer and was a titch (more than a little!) preoccupied with getting my files back.  Fortunately, I was successful and I am able to get back to you at last!

While perusing the world wide web this week I came across a quote by Max Lucado. You can find the quote at the top right of this page.  It simply says: “God Doesn’t call the qualified – He qualifies the called.”  Being one who likes to take the scholarly approach, I went to the Bible to see if I could find some instances of this happening to verify Mr. Lucado’s claim.

As it happens, the Bible is full of stories in which totally… and I mean totally… unqualified people are called by God to accomplish something spectacular. Some of the tasks seem small and get really big and other stories are big from the very beginning.  At any rate the people God qualified were people just like you and me. They were ordinary people living out their lives.  So if you think for one minute that God is not able to put you to good use think again!  You are NOT unworthy! Unlike Saturday Night Live’s Wayne and Garth skits you ARE worthy.  Well, at least, you can be if you let God work through you.

The story of Gideon in the Book of Judges (chapters 6 and 7) is a great example of God using a person who took a lot of convincing that God was even God.  He was an ordinary man who was threshing grain in a winepress while trying to avoid the occupiers of the land.  God called him to save the people of Israel from their oppressors.  Even though Gideon objected to his qualification, the Lord chose him anyway.  Then the Lord went about the task of “qualifying” Gideon.  In the end Gideon leads the charge with only 300 men and conquers the oppressors! For those of you who might want to try and read a scholarly paper I did on the subject of Gideon, I have made another post entitled Gideon and you will should be able to pull it up.

Moses is another fine example of God using someone weak and in disbelief. Moses protested to God in front of the burning bush that he was not qualified. Exodus 3:11 quotes Moses saying “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  And that was the beginning of the protests.  Through God’s grace and patience, Moses is molded and transformed into a leader who, in the end, saves the Hebrews and births the nation of Israel.

King David is yet another example.  He is the youngest son of a sheep herder. At that time he was not exactly the stuff of which kings are made! Yet, from the time he is anointed until his death he served the Lord. And he did it despite trials, tribulations and his own sin.  Yes, King David sinned.  He was, after all, a human just like you and me!  Nevertheless, that didn’t stop God from using him.

The Twelve Apostles are even more examples.  Some were fishermen and tax collectors.  They were the lowest on the respectability scale in Israel. Yet they were chosen out of their low position to be the eventual leaders of the Church after the death and resurrection of Jesus!  Jesus spent the three and a half years of his ministry molding and shaping them so they could effectively occupy leadership positions.  Imagine that! Sinners and tax collectors organizing the early church.

Even the Apostle Paul considered himself the “chief of sinners.”  Although he was a respected Pharisee (A pretty important position in Israel’s culture), he was brought to a low point and then mentored into a Christian brother who would write about half of the New Testament!  You can read the whole story about Paul’s calling in Acts 9.

I could go on and on with more examples of ordinary people being used by God; but, I think you probably get the point.  The truth is, God could use you as well. The common thread in the examples above is that each of them allowed God to work through them and that they were transformed into a usable vessel.  It is true that some of them took a little convincing.  How much more convincing will you need to allow God to work through you?  A little?  A bunch more?  I hope none at all.

All you have to do is accept Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior and be willing to let him mold and shape you into the servant he wants YOU to be.  All you gotta do is ask!
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Until next time….

Blessings,

​Casey
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​©2015 Casey O.Hooper