Saw this sign posted on Facebook the other day:

This should serve as a reminder to all of us that God is not looking for someone who is perfectly qualified for whatever job He may have for us. All He needs is a willing volunteer. He will qualify the person He calls for the job.

How often have we failed or refused to do something God was calling us to do because we didn’t feel like we were able to do it? “Oh, God, I can’t do that. Go find someone else to do it.” I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have personally used that excuse to cop out on doing something God called me to do.

When He called me to write my recent blog series “Christianity 101,” my initial reaction was that I didn’t have a seminary degree and wasn’t ordained by any church. I was sure He could find someone more qualified to write it. Then He reminded me of this principle, and I humbly accepted His call.

More recently, He called me to turn that series of blogs into the book Christianity 101. Once again, my reaction was to dodge this challenge, but I remembered what He said about the blog series and accepted His call.

Right now, I’m in the midst of the process of adapting these blog posts into the form of a book. I feel inadequate for the task, and I wonder a lot what I should say, what I should add to the blog series, etc.

If I were doing this on my own, I would probably run for cover. However, He knows my inadequacies better than I do, and if He wants me to do this, it’s up to Him to anoint me to the task or let me fall on my face. I no longer worry about embarrassing myself if I don’t get it just right. It’s His project, not mine.

There’s a story about a farmer who had just been born again when his area was hit by an invasion of locusts. The locusts ate everything in sight, destroying crops for miles around.

The man’s pastor, concerned about how this disaster might shake the new Christian’s faith, hurried out to the man’s farm to comfort him. When he got there, he found the farmer whistling as he cheerfully went about his business.

Dumbfounded at the man’s happiness, he asked him about it. “How can you be so upbeat in the face of such a total disaster?”

The farmer just grinned. “If God wants to use His crop to feed His locusts, why should I be upset about that?”

That’s the attitude I have to adopt when I write Christian nonfiction. If God wants to use my writing to bring lost people to Jesus and lead Christians into closer relationships with Him, great. If, on the other hand, He wants to let my efforts fall flat, so be it. It’s His project, not mine.

What things have you undertaken in answer to God’s call when you didn’t feel qualified for the job?

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If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.

For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.

Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.