Unqualified Job Candidates

Exodus 3:10, "Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt."

"God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called."-Unknown.

This is a fairly popular quote. You perhaps have heard it many times before as I have also. It's comforting to know that God doesn't just call those who are the best in this world to serve Him. He also calls the everyday people and says, "Follow Me."

In some of my devotionals, I've shared how sometimes when I sit down to write, I have no idea what I'm going to share. However, God always shows up.

Have you ever felt unqualified for fulfilling God's call on your life? Sometimes I feel very unqualified to be someone God uses. I see my good qualities... but I also see my failures and shortcomings, and it's very clear to see that I have not arrived yet.

Moses was someone who felt unqualified to do what God was calling Him to do also.

In Exodus 3-4, we read about God calling him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Unfortunately, Moses didn't have the attitude of, "Here I am. Send me." (see Isaiah 6:8). Instead, he gave God a list of all the reasons why he was unqualified.

"Who am I...?" (see verse 11).

"If I go to the people of Israel to tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you.' they will ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" (Exodus 3:13b).

"What if they won't believe me or listen to me? What if they say, 'The Lord never appeared to you'?" Exodus 4:1b.

"O Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled." Exodus 4:10b.

Then we get to Exodus 4:13 and read, "But Moses again pleaded, 'Lord, please! Send anyone else."

Moses gave one excuse after another to tell God why He had picked the wrong man for the job.

If you want to make God angry, all you have to do is give Him all the excuses as to why You aren't the right candidate for His call on your life. The attitude Moses had was not an attitude God was pleased with. Exodus 4:14 starts out by saying, "Then the Lord became angry with Moses."

God wasn't angry with Moses because of him being unqualified. He was angry because of the excuses Moses gave as to why he couldn't fulfill the call.

1 Corinthians 1:26-28 says, "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few or you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important."

All throughout the Bible, we see "unqualified" people being used by God.

If you've ever read Exodus 3-4 before, you may have caught the perspective God wanted Moses to have. All along, Moses had his eyes focused on his problems, shortcomings, and issues. Instead, God wanted Moses to have his eyes fixed upon Him.

Exodus 4:11 says, "Then the Lord asked Moses, 'Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.'"

If we keep our eyes focused on how unqualified we are, we will be like Moses was in these chapters and give God a long list of reasons why we are not a good candidate. However, if we can shift our focus off of our shortcomings and onto who God is, we will truly be able to do whatever it is He calls us to do... not because we're qualified, but because He is with us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

It's true that you call the people the world would look at and pass by and use them to further Your Kingdom. My prayer is that You'll help me keep my focus fixed on You rather than on the list of reasons I have as to why I'm not personally qualified for the call. Help me have an attitude of, "Here I am. Send me" (see Isaiah 6:8) rather than an attitude of "Send anyone else." (see Exodus 4:13). In Jesus' Name.

Amen.