Qualified and Equipped

I was at a job interview recently and one of the questions I was asked was “What would your colleagues say about your qualifications for this position?” I won’t go into detail about how I answered that question. I will tell you that on paper before me was a job description that was precise about both the qualifications and the duties of the specific role they were seeking to fill. I have the qualifying degree and license. Once I received those, they were mine. I also felt pretty comfortable about my ability to fulfill most of the duties. There were some though that would be a challenge for a time. I was hopeful that I would be able to ask and learn and practice the ones as yet unfamiliar to me.

However later I got thinking about how lacking in confidence I would have been if the expectations were totally out of my league, say for example the license and duties of a plumber. (I have replaced faucets and the flex tubes in my bathroom sink, which is probably why I do not qualify or apply for plumbing jobs!)

Then I thought what the response might be to a similar question like “What would your brothers and sisters in Christ say about your qualifications for the kingdom?”

Gratefully, the answer to the base question would be “We only qualify by the grace and mercy of God, the atoning sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, and the free offer that was made to each of us to believe and receive those truths personally. Once we receive it, it is ours – Thank you God.

But what about the observations of others that show we are qualified? Are there “quantifying” measures that others see? And are we doing what we were qualified and equipped by God to do for His Kingdom?

Jeremiah 29:11 states, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans to prosper you and not to harm you. They are plans to give you a hope and a future.”

This verse has been a comfort and encouragement to many of you, I’m sure. Today it reassured me in a different way. It spoke to me of God’s personal commitment to each of us to use us in His Kingdom in a way that He has qualified and prepared us. It also speaks of His desire to bless us and keep us from harm in the process. I believe He has a precise job description for each of us, where He takes what we are comfortable and confident in, and then adds some things that are out of our comfort zone or league, so we will absolutely need to depend on Him. And His plans are to give us hope and a future

Gratefully, hopefully, expectantly HIS,

Jan