I’ve had the honour of serving on a number of job interview panels. I’m that last guy on the panel who doesn’t smile and grunts after every answer you give. The one who sips very loudly from his glass of water; so loud, the room asks you to repeat everything you said while he sipped. The one who comes in only to ask very difficult, “it says here that you…BUT isn’t it true that…” questions.
On the panel, we review a candidate’s credentials and ask them a number of questions about themselves. We then assess their responses to choose the best candidate for the position.The panel wants whoever has displayed certain capabilities the best and goes through the motions to determine which candidate that is.
When I see someone serving God in one capacity or the other, because of how we select our own candidates, I’m very tempted to think that these people are there because they are the best-qualified to do that thing. I might picture that they got the position by answering God’s “Tell me about yourself…” and “So, what would you like to earn?” very well. They were probably a lot more composed than everyone else in the interview. Maybe they even had the most impressive CV.
God’s selection process is quite different though. I see that He selects the worst possible candidate for jobs.
From choosing a guy who stutters and has no leadership skills on record to go and speak to one of the strongest kings of the time and tell him to release the slaves his great empire heavily relies on (Exodus 3 in The Bible). The guy’s tending sheep and goats when God shows up. Sheep and goats. [Using our interview process, best candidate: Leader with great track record of very, very good negotiation techniques, motivational speech, good army strategies and with the ability to provide for millions in a dessert ]
To saving an entire nation, Israel, by using a prostitute to hide the equivalent of FBI agents it had sent to gather information. (Joshua 2). That prostitute’s actually named in Jesus’s lineage.(Matthew 1)
To choosing a guy bent on killing the early church to spread it. He’s so devoted to seeking out and killing apostles but he’s chosen to join their ranks. (Acts 9)
To selecting as king the youngest in a family – the one so weak for the job, he wasn’t even called for the interviews (1 Samuel 16)
To using fishermen as disciples – I’m trying to imagine a fisherman at that time telling me about this guy who died but actually didn’t die and he’ll change my life. Ha! (Acts 4:13)
To using a woman so promiscuous, she was shunned by the town she lived in. He used Her to preach His message to that town and save its people. Surely, there must have been some ‘Godly’ people more qualified to spread the message (John 4)
I see that He truly has a liking for the weakest candidate.
When you get called back by that company and told, “We are glad to inform you that you emerged successful in the interview and….(all fades to black as you dance)”, rejoice, you were the best. When God calls you though, *cough* you were the weakest. Rejoice in that too. You are not qualified for the job. You were the least attractive candidate BUT…
…those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:30
You’ll be equipped to the point that people, who’ll mainly see the finished product, will say how awesome you are. But you for you, you know where you came from and who’s awesome. There might be times though, when how unqualified you are will show. In those times, the people who thought you were so awesome will say a lot. Go back to who’s awesome so that refinement can continue.
For you who feels God’s calling you to do something and you can only think of all the reasons you are not the right person for it, you are in good company.
…My power is perfected in weakness… 2 Corinthians 12:9
Most importantly, for you who thinks “doing God’s work” is just for that friend of yours who walks around with a Bible, well, God doesn’t.