Help Wanted: The Unqualified

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things people look at.  People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7 NIV

Have you ever been challenged to accept a position in life you did not feel qualified for?  How do you meet the challenges of working outside of your comfort zone?

What do you think David saw as his calling in life?  To be a shepherd?  To be a writer?  Or to be a King?

It is as I weave my story within the greatest story ever told, Gods story, that I have encountered my calling.

Alone, upset and crying, I could not believe this was happening to me.  It was never fair, and it hurt a lot!  My fingers were flying over the keys of the computer, the monitor a blur through the veil of my tears.  My whole body was shaking as it wretched out a flood of emotion.  I was bleeding the ink of betrayal onto the pages of the screen.

In this moment of total collapse, God called me to become a writer.  As my heart was aching to be heard, to be noticed, He saw me, and He listened to me.  The Lord asked me to share my pain with others who have been hurt and promised me my pain would not be wasted. Saying He wanted my words and wanted me to share them with others, so they too may find comfort and peace in the shadow of the Almighty.

I was not qualified for this position.  I barely passed English class in High School and don’t even remember taking English in College. My degree was in Accounting. Give me numbers, and I am fine, words are a foreign language.

Was David called to be Shepherd?  Was I called to be an Accountant?  Was David called to be a King?  Was I called to be a Writer?

God does not look at the outward appearance of those He calls but at their heart.  He looks at our availability, our willingness to serve.  He looks at our faith.

If you have also found yourself in a calling you don’t feel qualified for, here is what I have learned so far from my experience:

• Be humble – How I handle success has been my downfall more often then how I handled failures.  It is in times of prosperity I am most likely to fall out of Grace and into sin. Maybe this is the warning I should be watching for “Danger, success ahead!”
• Watch what you worship – It is easy to start taking the credit for success. How this looks for me is in the numbers. I look to see how many people have “liked” my post or how many followers I have on Instagram. When I stop myself from looking and turn instead toward worshiping, this space where humbleness resides within my heart is filled back up with God’s anointing.

“Proclaim with me the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3)

• Be available– God won’t take what we are not willing to give. It is as simple as being willing to say “Yes, Lord.” Take the risk, believe in a God who has shown Himself to be more creative with our gifts than we ever could be without Him.  In my short journey into the Writer’s Life, I have completed over 20 hours of classes, started a blog, and written thousands of words. This has been a fast track of movement that could only be an example of a girl who was never qualified but came when called, knowing God would find a way to qualify her.
• Handle your stress – This calling that took you to a place that you did not feel qualified and maybe not even available for, it will bring pressure. How will you handle it? I figure I have only two choices. Handle it with Jesus or without.  Only one-way wins.  If we decide up front to allow the times of discontent and struggles to be the sweet places where we draw closer to the Lord, we will experience intimacy and growth at a pace you could not imagine happening.

Samuel learned a lesson that afternoon when searching for a King; he found a shepherd.  David, although he might have felt more called to sit on a rock in a field of sheep and write his songs and poems, learned God called him, an unqualified Shepherd boy, to be a King.

So how are you responding to God’s calling on your life?  Where has God shown you avenues of ministry on the highway to heaven?  How are you responding? Join me please on this beautiful journey through the deeper waters of life and watch the story of God weave itself right into your calling as He qualifies you for more than you could have imagined.

Heavenly Father I thank you for calling me into my purpose in life. I am grateful you have not expected me to come into the game wearing a mask of perfection. You have prepared me for my calling in a way the world could never have done. Your perfect ways and your perfect timing have caused your unqualified daughter to serve you in beautiful ways. Thank you, Amen