Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
King James Version
How do you feel when compared to your colleagues?
Some of them attended only the best institution in the world, graduated with world-record-breaking grades, been nominated to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, some are inventors, have received honorary doctorates, have an estate or building named after them, written New York Bestsellers, hosted TED talks, won beauty pageants, come from a renowned family, or even has a noble laureate.
How did you feel? Did you feel good enough? Or did you feel intimidated and wrote yourself off?
Everyone may be utterly unimpressed with your resume, that is fine. You do not have anything anyone can consider a remarkable achievement, that is okay too. All the achievements we have is by no way a justification for our living.
I am not by any way endorsing mediocrity, not telling you not to try and get some accolades, I am saying that you should not write yourself off. The only person that you should really try to impress is our heavenly Father, God.
And trust me, God is not impressed by all our collection of achievements, trophies, awards, the number of our followers on social media, the connections we have, and all the great things people have to say about us.
Remember in the book of 1 Samuel 16 when God told Samuel to go anoint one of Jesse’s sons to become the new king of Israel.
When the seven sons of Jesse passed before Samuel, he was impressed by them, but God was not: “ 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16: 6-7 King James Version).
None of them was chosen by God even though they served in the King’s army, were of fine countenance and stature, God still refused them. God does not see the way humans do. David was the chosen one.
He had no spectacular achievement in the sight of his family, his appearance was not like that of his brethren, he was the youngest and he tended to the family’s sheep.
By all the definitions of the world, David was nothing compared to the rest of his brothers, however, God was still able to use him just as he was. God chose the little ruddy sheep keeper to be the King of Israel. God can use your ‘unimpressive resume’ to impress the world.
You may not be a genius, or you have a generic skill that would not pass for much; God can still use that. When David faced Goliath, he had only stones – that was the weapon he knew how to handle – and God granted him victory.
Deploy what you have, and do not despise what you have. Look away from yourself, God’s sufficiency is all you need.
God can use an autistic person success in any field of his choice, an invalid can be considered a valid policymaker, an overwhelmed or disheveled mother can raise the best children, and a little girl with bone issues can break global sports records too!
God can use the least likely to do the most mighty.
It’s quite acceptable to be a nobody. Our heavenly Father is the supreme being, for what it’s worth. He was, is, and will continue to be. Give life your all and trust God with the rest.
Because you lack what others have, do not wallow in obscurity, fear, or intimidation. What you have or don’t have has no bearing on our deservingness. At the end of the day, all these achievements are not really ours, they are God’s.
God’s creations, God’s accomplishment. Dearly beloved, be encouraged in God’s word today and refuse to be intimidated or quick to write yourself off.
