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How many times have you felt completely unqualified to do something? You think that there is someone better suited for the job or you feel like you don't have enough training or experience. I've felt that plenty of times. As a perfectionist, I am incredibly aware of my own weaknesses. So often, we offer up all these excuses as to why we can't do something God has called us to do. We say "I'm too shy" or "I don't have enough confidence" or "I'm too busy" or "I'm not good at speaking to people" or "I just have too much on my plate right now". And while our weaknesses are very real because we are imperfect, we use those weaknesses as excuses. I'm sure you can think of your own list of excuses because I definitely can. And most of my excuses are rooted in the fact that I am placing the responsibility and the focus on myself and what I can do when I should be focusing on who God is and what He can do.
There was a man in the Bible who is notorious for coming up with excuses. A man we all know by the name of Moses. God had given Moses a command: Go to Egypt, go to Pharoah, and lead the Israelites out of oppression and out of slavery. Moses then goes on to give a series of excuses to God as to why he can't do this. The first excuse: "Who am I?". Moses questioned who was he to go and confront Pharoah. But God answered "I will be with you". God reminded him that it didn't matter who Moses was, it mattered who God was. The second excuse: "What if they don't believe me". God had already promised in early chapters that the Israelites would believe him, so now Moses is questioning God's faithfulness and power. God then goes on to give Moses 3 signs. Moses learned from these signs, that everything God said would happen, happened. And the Israelites would be able to see that Moses did not come based on his own power but on God's power. The third excuse: " I have never been eloquent". Moses wasn't the best speaker and questioned his ability to speak well to the Israelites. Again, Moses focused on his own ability to speak, rather than the power of God that was able to work through him. God reminded Moses that He was sovereign and that He is the one who gave us mouths to speak. God promised that He would be with Moses, He would help him speak, and He would teach him what to say. Finally, with all of Moses excuses answered and dealt with, Moses was forced to face the real reason he didn't want to go to Egypt. Moses said "Please, Lord, send someone else." You see, Moses' problem was not a lack of ability, it was a lack of willingness.
Throughout reading this story I was reminded of a couple of things. First, our effectiveness in what God has called us to do is not dependent on our abilities. It's dependent on the power and presence of God. I have found myself using the same excuses Moses did. I say to God, "Lord I know you have called me to share the Gospel with that person, but I just don't think I'm the right person to do it. There are people who speak better and can present it more clearly than I can". Sometimes God calls us into situations where we feel that someone else could do a better job. But God calls us for a reason, and who are we to question Him? Despite every excuse Moses offered up, God always proved that He was greater than Moses' weaknesses. It's easy to use our weaknesses as an excuse, but God isn't limited by our weakness. In fact, God's glory is shown best through our weaknesses!
Second, God does not need our abilities or qualifications to use us. He just needs our willing hearts. God is powerful enough and able to work through us despite our limitations and our disabilities, but we have to be willing to let God use us. We don't have to be the most qualified person and we don't have to be perfect. The Bible is filled with instances of Jesus using unqualified, unlikely, imperfect, flawed sinners. Jesus has chosen us for a specific purpose and he wants to use us in His plan. I pray we would all have willing hearts to say "Yes Lord, here I am, send me!", and that we would be obedient in what He calls us to do.
Maybe there is something specific God is calling you to do? Are you making excuses based on your own abilities and your own comfort? Or are you simply unwilling? That's a question I've had to ask myself. Am I genuinely concerned with my lack of ability and qualification, or am I just unwilling? I pray that God would place a willing heart in me. A heart that's eager to say yes to Him. And I pray that for you too.
Recaps / Big Truths:
God's power is not limited by our weakness. God's glory is shown best through our weaknesses.
Our effectiveness in what God has called us to do is not dependent on our abilities, but on the power and the presence of God.
God doesn't need us to be qualified, He just needs us to be willing and obedient.
Scripture:
Exodus 3-4:17
2 Corinthians 12: 9 - "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness". Therefore I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may reside in me."
Psalms 51: 12 - "Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit."
Ephesians 3:20 - "Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us."