18
Apr

The Work of the Unqualified  

Posted by Mike Sharrow

At multiple junctures in my life I've been reminded of just how much God enjoys using the "unqualified" to do His great work. As Paul recognized from his own life, "in my weakness You are strong." It's an important thing for us to remember, because God tends to push and put us in situations where we are acutely aware of our inadequacy...which is the point. How will we respond when pushed into a position of dependency and self-insufficiency?

Here's a fairly good commentary on that very subject by means of a quick survey of Biblical characters who wrestled with similar anxieties:

http://www.sermoncloud.com/austin-bible-fellowship/unqualified

(be sure to click the "read more" hyperlink under the first 2 paragraphs of sample text)

This entry was posted at Friday, April 18, 2008 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

5 thoughts and responses

Anonymous  

As a humorous followup, consider this old saying:

We the Willing
Led by the Unknowing
Are doing the Impossible
For the Ungrateful.

We have done So Much
With So Little
For So Long
We are now Qualified
To do Anything
With Nothing.

April 18, 2008 at 1:23 PM
archie  

Unqualified is a great place to be if you fear God. Being unqualified encourages humility. God thrives on humility. In our humility, God may choose to do a good work through us.

Can you imagine for just a minute that the very God of creation may choose to use YOU (the unqualified)to perform some work in His favor. Remember, this is the God that by His word spoke the world into existence. He is also the God that distroyed the world.

Awe yes, the fear of God. There is that touch of anxiety when God calls and appoints us to action knowing we are unqualified. Then, in God's grace we are energized into action knowing God is there with you.

Stepping into where God is working is a principle taught by Henry Blackaby. When God works in your life and you may be allowed to step into it. With humility, I believe God is energetically energized to do a good work and allow you to participate in it.

April 18, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Randy  

Followers need to hear this repeatedly since we so often follow the dictates of our culture that tells us we must work to get more qualified..
On the other hand...finally, I may be qualified by being unqualified....

April 21, 2008 at 9:00 AM
Mike Sharrow  

FxF -

Right before the message yesterday, I felt God impress something upon me. It was really a culmination of stirring all week stemming from my personal devotional time rather than sermon prep stuff. The question was one I posed at the end of my sermon (last minute edits!):

Are you willing to let God use who you are not to demonstrate who He is?

It seems to be a narrative question played out numerous times throughout Biblical history.

April 21, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Anonymous  

This was certainly a divine comment yesterday: "Are you willing to let God use who you are not to demonstrate who He is?" I'm curious--how do you balance the idea of being well trained (e.g. well read, seminary classes, leadership seminars, college) with being unqualified? Don't we as Christians feel the pressure to "get qualified"? Or is "getting trained" different than "getting qualified"? Food for thought...I struggle with it in my writing too.

April 21, 2008 at 12:40 PM

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