A God Who Qualifies You
There is a saying in Christian circles that goes, “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.”
In Colossians 1, while addressing the church at Colossae, Paul tells them that he gives thanks “to the Father who has qualified you…” Has qualified. Past tense. Meaning, God has already qualified you.
Have you ever felt unqualified? Not good enough? I know I have. Feeling inadequate, in part, is what prevented me from starting this blog sooner. I didn’t think I’d ever write anything good enough or valuable enough to be used by the Lord. For a long time, I believed everything I did was bound to fail.
Not anymore! Now I know that God never fails - so why would He start with me? The reality is that God has always used imperfect people. We don’t have to be flawless or even feel completely ready to be obedient to what God has for us.
Let’s look at some Biblical figures who also didn’t feel ready or qualified when God called them.
Most people know Moses - the great leader who brought God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. But he was certainly not qualified or a great leader when God called him. Moses had murdered a man in Egypt and had been living in exile ever since (see Exodus 2:12). Some scholars think he might have had a speech impediment like a stutter, because he told God, “I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Moses gave God all sorts of reasons to find somebody else - somebody more qualified.
But God didn’t say, “You’re right. Let Me find somebody better.” No - He said, “Who has made man’s mouth? […] Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” (Exodus 4:11–12). Notice that God didn’t define Moses by his past or his perceived failings. He simply promised to be with him.
Just as the Lord did not call Moses by his sin or his past, He also doesn’t judge us by what others think of us, or even by what we think of ourselves. Instead, He calls us by who He created us to be.
In Judges 6, the people of Israel were under attack by the Midianites. In response to their cries for help, God sent the Angel of the Lord to Gideon and called him “O mighty man of valor.” But Gideon didn’t see himself that way. He asked God, “How can I save Israel? My family is the least in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the youngest and smallest in my father’s house.” He saw only weakness.
But again, the Lord didn’t argue with Gideon’s self-assessment. He simply said, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16).
And that’s the whole point.
In John 15:5, Jesus tells us, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” God’s involvement is what qualifies us. When He calls us, He doesn’t just pat us on the head and send us out alone - He promises to be with us. In Joshua 1:9, the Lord tells Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
In this modern world, we are often encouraged to rely only on ourselves. And while independence has its place, relying on ourselves for everything is exhausting. Jesus doesn’t want us to live that way.
When Jesus says His yoke is easy (see Matthew 11:30), He is referring to a yoke shared between two animals. This means we are not bearing the burden alone - the Lord is carrying it with us.
Another truth we can hold onto is that none of us are here by accident. God planned our lives, right here and right now. We were born for such a time as this.
Esther is a powerful example of this. A Jewish exile who became queen, she was placed in a position to save her people from utter destruction. But approaching the king without being summoned could mean death.
When her cousin Mordecai urged her to act, he reminded her that she may have come to her position “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). And Esther chose obedience: “If I perish, I perish.”
At great personal risk, she chose to approach the king - and God used her to save His people.
Moses, Gideon, and Esther may sound qualified in hindsight, but it was God who brought about their purpose as they chose to trust and obey Him.
Let us not doubt our calling or our qualifications. Let us be obedient to what the Lord has given us. He will supply everything we need; He has already qualified us.
Even in our faith, the Lord is at work in us. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that we can “be confident that He who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion.”
So beloved friends, let us remember:
The Lord calls us by our future. He does not call us by our sin, our past, what others think of us, or even what we think of ourselves. Moses didn’t see himself as a leader, Gideon didn’t see himself as a warrior, and Esther feared she might fail - but God saw more. We may not always understand what He is calling us to, but we can trust that He will see us through.
The Lord isn’t asking us to do it alone. He promises to be with us. If we belong to Christ - Immanuel, “God with us” - then His Spirit is with us always, guiding and strengthening us.
The Lord has created us for such a time as this. It is no accident where God has placed us or who He has surrounded us with. We all have a purpose and a plan for our lives, and God will use all things, not just some things, to work for our good because we love Him (see Romans 8:28).
Let’s Pray Together.Lord God, thank You for qualifying us with Your presence. We don’t need to fear failure, because You never fail! You will work within us and bring to completion every good work and plan You have set over our lives. Help us to be obedient and to trust You, even when we don’t feel ready or good enough. Help us to see ourselves through Your eyes, to know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We praise You, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made in Your very image. Thank You for always being by our side and never leaving us. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.
