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Am I qualified for the job He has for me?
For every job, there are qualifications.
Anyone who has ever worked, or even tried to work, knows that every job has qualifications that come with it. Whether it is training, education, years of experience, or a combination, employers want to know what you bring to the table. Seems fair, and it is.
What about working for God? What are His qualifications? Is there an application process? Does He only hire the best to serve in ministry? Come to think of it, what is ministry? In essence, ministry is serving another.
Christian ministry is doing so in the name of Christ and in a biblical manner. Much can be and has been, written on this, but for now, we will simply examine how we know we are qualified to minister to others. After all, as Christians, whether in vocational ministry or not, we are all called to serve.
A mission for God is exactly what qualified the saints of the Bible to do His work. They didn’t have special education or skills.
Look at Noah. We have little, if any, backstory on this man except that God didn’t call him to service until he was five hundred years old! However, let’s read one verse that tells us about this man:
“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9, KJV)
Not to be confused with being sinless, the word “perfect” in the text here is better interpreted to mean complete or fulfilled. In other words, Noah walked in harmony with God’s will as much as a man could. As the Bible tells us, only Noah and his family did this and, as such, would be spared from the flood described in the verses and chapters to follow.
Abraham, born and raised in a land that worshipped pagan gods, had literally no qualifications to serve the God who would call him. He didn’t even worship Him. Nothing in the Bible tells us that he even knew of His existence. Ye God called this man to be the patriarch of a new nation. Why?
We see that God called Abraham (previously called Abram), and without question, he simply packed up his family and went!
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:1–4, KJV)
God saw in Abram a man willing to follow Him. He saw a man whose faith would be like the clay of the potter — able to be molded and formed into the father of a nation. God saw things in Abram that he probably didn’t even see in himself. At seventy-five years old, Abram started anew. And what a start it was!
What Abram did have was faith and the desire to serve.
Stepping into a role to help or take on a job makes sense when we see a need and are qualified. Most people who have worked in a profession for any time have built a resume and portfolio that expresses what they have accomplished and what qualifies them to do what they do. I have done this myself. Diplomas, certificates, letters of recommendation, and the like. However, this is not what impresses God.
He is more interested in reading, “This broken, humble person who really doesn’t know what direction he is going submits himself to You. Mold me. Lead me. Teach me.”
Are you ready for God to do this to you? Moses received all the teachings offered by the best schools in the house of Pharoah, but these were far from godly Jewish teachers.
Abram, whom we already discussed, received even less. Hebrews 11 is full of names of men who served God through a period of roughly two thousand years. One thing made each of them qualified to serve God. One thing justified them before the Lord. Faith. Nothing more and nothing less.
Are you willing to serve the Living God?
Better yet, are you excited about the opportunity? He may call you to serve right in your own home. He may want you to serve somewhere in the job or school where you go every day already. He might…
However, He may pull an Abram on you. He has plans for all of us that don’t always go along with what we plan when we don’t listen to Him first. When we get so wrapped up in making plans without first seeing if we are in God’s will, we may find that we are going in the wrong direction and must make a U-turn. It is best to avoid this by praying for His guidance first.
You are qualified to serve! I say this with all confidence. God made you in His image, and when you come to a saving knowledge of Him, all it takes is a commitment and faith that He can and will use you when and where He chooses. Go to the Lord in prayer today and seek His direction. You will be glad you did.
It is never too late if you do not yet know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is too far gone or unable to receive the gift of salvation afforded to anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus Christ. You can do that yourself, or if you wish, feel free to reach out to me, and we can discuss this.
I wish to thank some wonderful people who have inspired and helped me greatly in my writing journey. Without you, I would not be the person I am today.
Grace Bianco, Kyle Chastain, J.M. Troppello, Radha Kapadia, Jenny Alexander/Hope for the Heartbroken
Living Faith by James M. Dakis is a Christian writing ministry that shares devotional teachings as well as faith-based fiction for anyone hoping to grow in Christ. Whether you are already a Christian or have questions about your faith, I would love to talk with you. Comment here or reach out to me personally
Living Sacrifice Ministries 