Transcription
You think God is waiting for you to get more confident before he can use you. But that thinking is exactly why so many people fail. Listen, you don't need to be good enough for God to use you. You just need to be obedient.
And I know right now that might not make sense because we've been trained to think that we need the skills first, the confidence first, the perfect track record first, and then we'll be ready. But that's not how God works. God will put you right in the middle of something you know you can't accomplish on your own. and not because he wants to see you fail, but because he wants to show you that it was never about your ability in the first place.
That's exactly how Saul felt. Saul's just living his ordinary life. No crown, no throne, no royal bloodline. In fact, he's from one of the smallest, most overlooked tribes in Israel. His family not famous. His reputation not impressive. If anything, he's invisible. Then one day, Samuel, the prophet of God, comes to him and says, "You are the one God has chosen. All of Israel desires you to be their king." And Saul's first reaction, "Me? No way. You've got the wrong guy." He couldn't even imagine how someone like him from a place so small could matter that much.
But here's the thing about God. He doesn't see you the way the world sees you. He doesn't see you through the limits of your resume, your background, or even the labels you've put on yourself. He looks past the current version of you and sees the version you could become through him. And while Saul was busy thinking he was unqualified, God was already making preparations for him. By the time Saul arrived to meet Samuel, Samuel already knew he was coming. He'd set aside a special meal. He'd reserved a seat at the head of the table. It was like God saying, "This spot is yours. I've been saving it for you."
But when it came time to make it official, to anoint Saul publicly in front of the people, Saul didn't step forward. He hid. Why? Because his insecurities were louder than his faith. And that's where so many of us get stuck. God opens the door. God calls us forward, but we hesitate because we don't feel ready. We don't feel worthy. We don't feel good enough.
But here's the truth you can't forget. It wasn't you who put you there. It was God who called you. God who anointed you. God who appointed you. And if he put you there, he will equip you there. And you might be thinking right now, "But you don't understand. I've messed up too much. I don't have the right education. I don't have the confidence. I don't have the personality for what I think God is calling me to do." I get it. You're looking at yourself through the same lens. Saul did measuring your worth by your own ability. And if that's the standard, then yeah, none of us are qualified.
But here's what you need to understand. God never asked you to qualify yourself. He's not waiting for you to reach some magical level of perfection before he uses you. He's the one who qualifies the called. If you look all throughout the Bible, you'll see this pattern. God loves to pick the least likely person in the room. The youngest son like David. A stuttering shepherd like Moses. A fisherman who couldn't keep his mouth shut like Peter. A teenage girl in a small town to carry the savior of the world. If you were hiring, you wouldn't pick any of them. But God did. And that means he can pick you, too.
But here's where we trip ourselves up. We think our weaknesses are a reason for God to pass us by. In reality, our weaknesses are often the very reason he chooses us. Because when people look at your life and say, "There's no way you could have done that." You get to point them straight in. You see, the moment you stop thinking, "I can do this," and start thinking, "I can't unless God helps me," that's when you're in the perfect position for him to move.
Some of you are thinking, "If God really knew what I've done, he wouldn't choose me." Listen to me. He already knows every detail, every failure, every shameful moment you wish you could erase. And yet, he still called you. Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus still said, "Feed my sheep." [Music] Paul persecuted Christians and God still made him the greatest missionary the world has ever seen. Your past doesn't scare God. It's the raw material he uses to tell a story of grace almost nobody feels ready when God calls them. And maybe that's the point. If you only ever say yes when you feel ready, you'll never say yes to anything that actually stretches your faith.
God is not looking for readiness. He's looking for willingness. Readiness is about you. Willingness is about him. When you're willing, you step into places where you must rely on him. And that's where miracles happen.
I want you to picture something. Imagine God has been preparing a table for you. Not just any table, but a place of influence, a place of calling, a place where your life impacts others in ways you never imagined. He's set your seat. He's planned the conversation. He's arranged the room so that your presence there is no accident. And now he's calling you in. But you're standing outside, hesitating, looking at your clothes, looking at your hands, thinking, "I'm not dressed for this. I don't belong here. I can't walk into that room." But here's what you don't realize. The invitation wasn't based on your qualifications. It was based on his love. The seat isn't empty because someone forgot to fill it. It's empty because it's yours. The real question is, will you walk in?
You see, the enemy will do everything he can to convince you that you're not meant to be there. He'll whisper, "You're not smart enough. You're not spiritual enough. You're not talented enough." They're going to find out you're a fraud. But the truth is, you were never meant to be enough on your own. You were meant to be filled with his strength, his wisdom, his courage. It's not about who you are without him. It's about who you become with him.
Remember this. The Bible says many are called, but few are chosen. That means God can call you, but you can still miss it. Not because he changes his mind, but because you never stepped out. Because fear won. Because you stayed hidden. It's not enough to be called. You have to respond. You have to say yes when it's inconvenient. Yes when it's uncomfortable. Yes when it costs you something. If you keep waiting for the perfect moment, you'll watch the seat God saved for you be given to someone else who was willing to take it. Don't let that be your story. Don't let the call go unanswered.
So stop hiding among the baggage. Step out. Take the seat God has prepared for you. Say yes even with shaking hands and a trembling voice. Because your yes might just be the thing that changes everything. Not only for you, but for the people God is calling you to reach. And one day you'll look back and realize it was never about you being good enough. It was about you being willing enough. So, are you willing?