My favourite genre of literature is biographies. I love to read a good underdog story. Someone who has all the odds stacked against them, but despite everything they feel they lack, rise up from the ashes of their circumstances to a place of prominence and influence. Most often their character is marked by a genuine humility in their ability. They are not the ones expected to be destined for greatness. Beside their picture in a school yearbook you wouldn't see comments with expectations of grand, future success.
Under the direction of the Lord, Saul has sought out Samuel, whose heart has already been prepared for this encounter. In response to God's people crying out for an earthly king, Saul has been chosen by God to fulfill this role. Samuel tells Saul, "I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel's hopes." It is to this announcement that Saul responds with his list of insecurities and impossibilities.
Saul wasn't the only one in scripture who lacked confidence in a call. Gideon in Judges 6:15 answers almost identically, "'But Lord,' Gideon replied, 'how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!'"
Only. Smallest. Weakest. Least. Feelings of being inferior and inadequate. Why and how could we possibly be chosen with the list of deficiencies we know accompany our life? We are very aware we don't measure up to the standards the world requires for advancement. But isn't that what we see time and time again throughout scripture? God doesn't choose the most apparent, but the heart transparent that recognizes without the Lord's transforming power the task before them is so far beyond them. Anything God calls us to is never because of our greatness, but His faithfulness.
A good, godly leader knows they are unworthy and not qualified for God's assignment ahead. It's never because of the list of degrees behind their name. God can take an uneducated, unskilled, poor communicating, rejected and wounded Christ-follower and put them in positions of great impact for His glory. It is not a list of personal achievements that catch the eye of God, but lives fully devoted to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).
God knows our tendency towards self-righteousness and pride, so for that very reason He is most glorified in weaknesses, not strengths. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, "Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God."
Our confidence in ourselves always works in opposition to God. He seeks out those whose trust in Him. Despite all they feel seemingly hinders, it actually honours Him. When we lower ourselves, God lifts us up. If you are living in a place of apparent insignificance today, keep looking to the Lord. As a child of our Heavenly Father, you are never the least. With Christ as your everything you have all you ever need to fulfill His desires for you. It could be, that what you think is of little importance today, is of extraordinary value in His Kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment