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Monday, September 21, 2009

GOD doesn't call the qualified?

A few years ago, a pastor rejected me as a worship leader b/c i was actually...wait for it...qualified. he chose a younger, less spiritually mature, less competent person. why? b/c she was...wait for it...unqualified.

i remember sitting at a table when these words hit my ears: "GOD doesn't call the qualified; he qualifies the called." that was his justification for letting me go. i literally had to pick up my jaw from the floor. i had shared my heart for worship. this pastor had seen me lead and loved what i did. he appreciated my talent, my vision, and my spirit. i was everything he said he was wanting in a worship leader. however, he chose the other person. i sat there with all the grace and mercy i could muster as i tried to accept the rejection. those words hurt my heart. though i couldn't form the words, all i thought was that GOD gave me a gift that i developed so that i could serve him. i thought that was called being a good steward of the gifts GOD had given me. it turned out that the other worship leader didn't last long, and eventually the pastor admitted he'd made a mistake.

what brought this on is that i heard that phrase once again a couple of weeks ago. this time it came from the lips of a well-known leader that i respect. my heart sank as i finished saying the phrase with him.

GOD calls the qualified, too. i understand what they're trying to say. we don't have to have it all together to be called by GOD. at times, i have not been qualified to accomplish a task, but i knew that GOD would give me the grace to accomplish it. i mean, he does shine through our weaknesses.

sometimes in our attempt to be clever, we say something careless. i whole-heartedly believe that GOD qualifies those whom he calls, but i also whole-heartedly believe that GOD calls those who are qualified. we have biblical examples of both. being competent at something doesn't mean that GOD won't use us. at the same time, being incompetent doesn't mean that GOD won't use us. GOD will call whomever he chooses for whatever reasons he chooses. he calls us all.

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