I don’t think I ever really signed up for something I wasn’t “qualified” for before I met the Lord.
In the competitive and intensive world of third grade basketball games, I didn’t play a position before I adequately performed it in practice. In middle school I didn’t sign up for theatre because I wasn’t a qualified actor. Nor did I take Calculus before I was qualified in Algebra. I wouldn’t dare wear that new top to school that was a bit different until I felt like I had adequately qualified my style to the people around me. And I wouldn’t apply to any colleges that I wasn’t sufficiently certain I was qualified for.
It would simply be a waste of time to pursue something that you couldn’t guarantee a certain level of success in, right?
I think this is a concept that has become so integral to our worldview that it is engrained in our consciousness as absolutely rational and nothing less. Living overseas has taught me many things, one of those things has been to question our perceptions of cultural truth earnestly and to cling to the truths of Jesus sincerely.
Our mindsets tell us to be qualified for something is a prerequisite, not an option. Is not a title designed for expertise but an expectation designed for performance. In many ways this is not a bad concept. It vitalizes excellence and removes possibilities of failure. However, this mentality is married to our deeply americanized idolatry of performance and confuses the concept of striving and worth into one.
The kingdom of God is often times characterized as being “upside down”, meaning that the normalities of the Kingdom of God should not and do not look like the normalities of our culture but instead, are reversed and rewritten. One of those things is the concept of being qualified.
Rationally, I am probably one of the most unqualified people to be on this trip right now. I am a young christian, I met the Lord only a short 4 years ago and didn’t even start truly following the Lord until about 2 years ago. I didn’t grow up memorizing scripture or going to small groups. I’m not an introvert but I kind of hate talking to strangers, it feels uncomfortable. I am not fluent in any of the languages that we are going to. I am no therapist, no healer, no doctor or nurse, no poet or prophet, no politician or translator. By the world’s standards, I have nothing to bring, I am uncertified and unqualified in many ways to be a missionary, leading anyone and everyone closer to the Kingdom of God.
I was considering this as I took a walk by the beach in the place we are staying right now in Bar, Montenegro. Our ministry is to establish connections with longevity in Montenegro that we can use as long lasting relationships for more ministry opportunities. In a way, we are pioneering a first impression of not only our organization but most importantly of the Kingdom of God with intention of more ministries that we can serve. I have found myself simultaneously overjoyed and overwhelmed at that responsibility. Who am I to be qualified as a first impression of my Lord and Savior? I have done absolutely nothing to qualify myself for this honor and privilege.
I then pondered all of the people that Jesus chose to be the leaders, visionaries and disciples of His church. Matthew was a tax collector, regarded as an evil man in that time. Both Peter and Andrew were mere lower class fishermen, along with James and John. Paul, formerly “Saul” used to be a zealous jewish man that vehemently sought to end the spread of the gospel and actually murdered a follower of Christ by the name of Stephen, later God radically transformed Saul to became a devout missionary and follower of Christ. Even the intentionality of the Lord choosing Mary and Joesph to bear the Son of God, a humble and modest couple that came from poverty.
Even before Jesus, God was continually choosing people that seemed to be unqualified. Moses, the man who was in continual conversation with the Father and who was the first to write the Word of God through the Ten Commandments, the prophet who lead the Israelites out of slavery and split the Red Sea in half – was illiterate (Exodus 4:10-12). I find the irony of Moses being the scribe of the Lord while being slow of speech, so enchanting and intentional.
The Lord’s intentional picking of His ambassadors seem to follow only one consistent theme – they were all seemingly unqualified for the task at hand, yet God said, “I want this one”. What a dichotomy! How could an almighty and perfect God choose the most imperfect children to be His leaders, His visionaries, His servants and workers, His first impression.
I find myself constantly grappling at this concept of being exceptionally unqualified yet undoubtedly called.
The beauty of that is this: it silences the consumption of striving for performance and invites us into intimacy through obedience. I, as the unqualified worker cannot possibility claim the glory for any of the work I do because it is not from my own strength that I succeed, but from His kindness. My hands can neither destroy nor justify, earn nor drive away my success or failure. I am absolutely subject to the Lord’s sovereignty – and that is the only place I want to be.
Being apart of the Kingdom of God, inevitably means surrendering your expectations of what your life will look like to the hands of God. And oh man, the hands of God are the safest place to be.
For if it brings the Father more glory to walk into something that I am unqualified for, let me run to it. And if it brings the Father more glory to live in discomfort, let me deposit my inheritance there. For I was called and not qualified for the work of the Lord and I am soaked in freedom and etched in intimacy for it.
Elina, what a beautiful reminder this is. At this very moment in time, I am in deep need of encouragement and you spat it out in this blog. I hope that you’re enjoying where you are now and sharing these very thoughts with the men and women of Montenegro. I love you and I miss you.
Elina – these words are powerfully written and reveal a surrendered Spirit.
In surrender we find ourselves in the Lord’s Will and even if that place of His will for us is dangerous, scary, challenging or impossible – it is the safest place for any of us, His children to be.
I pray you produce much fruit for the kingdom to come as you serve Him in Spirit and in truth.
Jesus is returning soon, the work He gives us now is something that has eternal implications. Dear Elina, may your qualified status as a surrendered servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, keep you walking through every door He provides for you.??
Wow I needed to hear this today! This is so important and unspoken about in our world. Hearing His calling for your life and responding in obedience is qualification enough! God’s using you in powerful ways even if you can’t see it all the time. Thank you for sharing this truth and the scripture to reference! Praying for boldness and strength within your group. So excited to see the impact you have on His Kingdom!
Beautiful reminder of having a willing spirit to grow in new ways and to trust The Father when you have no resume for the current position the Father has called you to… He is always the one who began the good work in us …sometimes we are deceived and think it was our own efforts. Having an available spirit is all He desires 🙂
This is so beautifully written and so exquisitely humble. I often think when we come to the utter ends of ourselves, when we have done as much as we think we can in our own hands and we then throw up our arms as if to say, God I can’t do this on my own strength, He rejoices. The complete surrender and dependence on the Lord to move through us as vessels allows Him to move mightily.
ALSO, the Hebrew word for disciple is “talmid”. Jesus would choose talmid based on the potential He saw in the talmid to become like Him. Which means that when He chose all the disciples, He saw something in each of them. And in reality, He said that to the whole world, because we are ALL created in His image and we have the potential to be like Him if we follow in His dust. So, He chose you specifically for this. And I’m so proud of you for your willing and obedient spirit!