I was watching a TV show the other day which focused on judging people’s talents and gifting’s and a person walked out and said they were going to sing for the judges. I’ve been around a lot of talented people in my life, especially singers, and I consider myself to be a fair judge about who is a good singer, but I made a huge mistake, a huge misjudgment, for better words that day. I looked at the person who was about to sing and immediately judged if they would be a good singer or not, just by the way they looked. Now I know better than that but I have to sadly admit I did exactly that. The moment this person began singing, I had to eat my words and they didn’t taste very good let me say.

Too often we judge people’s ability or potential just by how they look, talk or where they are from and that is so wrong on our part. I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use. it will be measured to you“

I have seen many times in my life as a Christian when the Lord used who it seemed to me were the most unqualified people to do the most the amazing things for His kingdom. The Bible is full of people who were so unqualified to do the Lord’s work, yet it was those very same unqualified people who the Lord used to accomplish His work.

I am amazed at why the Lord has chosen and continues to use my life for His purposes, in spite of all my flaws and weaknesses. Yet, in spite of knowing that, I still find myself judging who the Lord will use just by how they look, where they came from, how educated they may be or not be and many other reasons.

When Phillip found Nathaniel to tell him they had found the One Moses wrote about in the Law and who the prophets also wrote about, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, Nathaniel’s response is: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”  Have you ever found yourself guilty of either saying or thinking that way about a particular person the Lord wants to use?

Some tend to think just because they’ve studied the Word of God that they now have become an authority on all Scripture. That is the exact point when the spirit of pride steps into one’s heart and what a sad moment that is.

When Jesse’s son Eliab stood before the prophet Samuel, he thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” Samuel thought there just couldn’t be a more perfect person to replace Saul as king. 1 Samuel 16:7 “The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart“ The Lord chose a young shepherd boy named David to replace Saul as king; would that have your choice??

The most amazing things done throughout the Scriptures were done by those who had issues, made huge mistakes and weren’t qualified in any way for the task set before them.

So all this means that the Lord wants to use you and me, amazing and sort of crazy isn’t it. Ready my friend???

image:  Photo by Frida Aguilar Estrada on Unsplash