God Can Use YOU | Part 2
In Part 1 of this series we discovered that the way we view ourselves is not always the way God views us. We looked at how one man of God, Gideon, started out by believing the false narrative of who he thought he was, but finished by seeing himself through God’s eyes!
Now, in this final part, we will explore how what we view as limitations or hindrances within us do not matter to God. God can use YOU to do great things for His Kingdom!
How God Called and Used ‘Unqualified’ People in Biblical Times
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This is truth. And because it is truth, that means that since God used people who appeared unqualified in the natural to answer the call He placed on their lives before… He can do it again. Through us!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
—Hebrews 13:8
“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
—Malachi 3:6
We will explore this idea more later, but for it to be truly impactful it is important to remind ourselves of the men and women God used to such ends. To have witness that God used people from all walks of life and with differing levels of ‘qualification’ to answer unique calls.
Just to name a FEW of these men and women, there were:
- Moses
- Esther/Hadassah
- Rahab
- Samuel
- Jeremiah
- Mary
- Gideon
- Ruth
- David
- Matthew
- Peter
- Paul
- Mary Magdalene
Each of these men and women—no matter if they viewed themselves through God’s eyes or not—were not exactly qualified in the natural for their call. Yet, each chose to set aside their own doubts, inexperience, or other ‘disqualifications’ to answer the call God put upon them; to take up His view as they laid down their own.
- Moses was slow of speech and thought that, among other things, meant he was not qualified to answer God’s call. But God knew that was not so, and sent Moses out to answer the call to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt! He used Moses and never abandoned Him!
- Esther—whose name was originally Hadassah—was a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin. She did not grow up expecting to become queen, let alone to be called upon to risk her life—to walk in faith—to save her people. In the natural she was not qualified, yet God saw that there was a brave queen within her. He not only positioned her to become queen and save her people, but to be a vessel of God’s change in Persia! And because of her obedience and faith, God not only spared her life, but greatly rewarded her and her family!
- Rahab was likely a prostitute and largely despised by those around her. In the natural this hardly seems like someone who would be a candidate for a person called of God, but within her was a unique faith in the Lord. Rahab had heard of the marvelous miracles God had done for the Israelites and believed that since the Israelites were coming, God would do such miracles again. So she risked her life to protect the Israelite spies, saving not only them, but her family through them. And this courage to choose God over anything else opened her up to answer an even bigger call than that of saving the spies… the call of becoming part of the lineage of Yeshua!
- Samuel’s mother, Hannah, was barren for many years, yet after she prayed fervently to the Lord and promised her son to His service, God answered her pleas. And so, Hannah gave birth to a son, whom she placed into the service of God. This child—of a once barren mother—became a light in darkness, ministering before the Lord even as a child and serving as a prophet; continuing in these as he grew. And because he was willing to serve the Lord, speaking God’s will no matter the cost, Samuel not only spoke what the Lord decreed, but did all he was told by God to do—anointing kings, serving as a judge, and returning the eyes of the people of Israel to the Lord.
- Jeremiah was a youth when called by God and did not believe that he could be effective as a prophet of the Lord because of his youth. He did not see himself as qualified. Yet, the Lord not only called Jeremiah to be a prophet but He said that his youth did not matter; that no matter where he was led or what he was told to speak, Jeremiah need not fear, for God would deliver him! And so, God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth and sent him out to be a prophet who would speak God’s word with authority!
On and on we could explore the testimonies of the men and women written of in God’s Word, discovering how it was God who qualified them, and how, in every case, God was glorified, because it was HE who made their calling possible! And this is no different today. God is ready to use us, and it doesn’t matter if we do not feel ‘qualified’ because it is GOD who qualifies us. It is HE who makes all things possible!
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.’”
—Mark 10:27
GOD CAN USE YOU
This is something that we need to get deep down into our souls. God can use us.
We may see ourselves one way, but God sees the truth of who we are. He sees who He created us to be and knows that, in Him, we are perfectly capable of becoming that.
Just as it was with Rahab or Moses. Or with Samuel or Jeremiah. We, or those around us, may believe a false narrative of who we are, thinking that we are too young or too old, too imperfect, too awkward, and so on… but God sees the bigger picture. God knows best! And He can use us to increase His Kingdom and manifest His will on earth!
“God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”—Curt Landry
God can certainly use us for great and mighty things, but a key part of God using us for His purposes is for us to believe that what HE says is true! That when HE calls us to do something, we lay aside the false narrative of who we think we are and walk forward in faith; faith that God can do all things and that if He says a thing, it will be done!
We are not able to thwart God. He is more powerful than that. He knew before we were born what we would be like, look like, and sound like. He knew what call was to be placed upon our lives…
It was not a case of God creating us and then being surprised that we were somehow not ‘qualified.’ Nor was it a case of His creating us at the wrong time and then standing back when the time came for us to answer our call and thinking, “man, I brought them into the world ten years too early!” No. God is perfect and He created us with intention. With the care and love that only our Heavenly Father can give.
God made no mistakes with us or the time in which He has placed us.
God does EVERYTHING perfectly!
So why are we walking through life as if God makes mistakes? Or as if we are somehow powerful enough to thwart God’s plans?
Why are we questioning God with concerns that are irrelevant to His perfection? Questions like:
- “Are You sure you mean me God?”
- “But how can I do that?”
- “God, I don’t have enough money to do what You said…”
- “I’m too young to talk to them…”
- “I’m too old to do THAT…”
- “I don’t have the skills to do that… why are You asking me?”
- “Surely you meant someone else?!”
These questions may seem perfectly natural when God asks us to do something that we see as beyond us, our skills, or our finances, but to God these questions are far from natural. Because HE is not a man that He should lie. HE is a promise keeper. With HIM, all things are possible!
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
—Numbers 23:19
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;”
—Deuteronomy 7:9
“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”
—Malachi 3:6
“But Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”
—Matthew 19:26
We need to zoom in on the truth that where God leads, He provides. That when God asks us to do something, He will make a way. And yes, it may not always be the way we thought… but it WILL be the perfect way, because our God never makes mistakes!
It is time for us to turn our ears to God, and listen to the truth He speaks.
It is time for us to accept and believe that God is able to do anything.
It is time for us to walk forward in what God has called us to do and not question His decision to use us… because God can use us!
GOD CAN USE YOU!