Often in our society, the one who speaks the most eloquently, projects the most charismatic personality, has all the best connections, adorns the latest fashion and sports the trendiest looks, has the biggest bank account, overflows with gusto and oozes with highest confidence,  is the one who gets the stage, the job, the recognition, the mic, the promotion, the ministry, the lead role, and what many would see as “the perfect opportunity”. But what we are seeing and who we may possibly choose as the best qualified for the job, is not always who God would choose to use.

Obviously a singer needs to carry a tune. A musician needs to know how to play his instrument.  A teacher needs to be able to make sense. A preacher needs to have passion about his message. A boss needs to have skills in management and hopefully some sort of people skills in order to lead well. And so we are drawn to and search out the best. We think that THE best will bring the best and BE the best. Surely the highly qualified means they are the best for the job. Those who are skilled, confident, outspoken, self-motivated, goal setters, initiators, performers, etc, are usually those who catch our attention and get the position. Often we do this in ministry, filling our stages with the most talented, the most charismatic, the most confident, the most eloquent, the most flamboyant – the biggest and the best. While this can work well in some cases, not getting stuck in this mentality or becoming limited by it, is extremely important as we are called to operate as the beautiful Body of Christ. Remember to look beyond the exterior. God looks at the heart, He sees past what usually attracts us to someone – past the outer appearance, past the skill, past the talent and ability, past the strengths, past the charm and charisma. What he sees is so much different. Who he chooses often makes no sense, to the human mind. For God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. I always love how God sent Samuel to choose and anoint a king and out of all of Samuel’s picks, his first, second, third and fourth picks, God chose David. The youngest of Jacob’s sons. The shepherd boy straight from the fields. The one who lacked the skills and was not much to look at. That’s who God had in mind. He saw past the exterior and what the world saw. He knew what David was capable of before anyone else ever would. He was God’s pick!

So what if who we see as valuable and “right for the job” is actually not who God sees as the right person or the only person? What if the quieter one, who trembles at even the thought of public speaking, is actually the one called to preach and see many brought to the salvation of the Lord? What if the one with the mousy little voice and the least amount of confidence is the one who at the first note of a song, even if out of tune, is used to set many free. What if the one who usually hardly says a word and when they do, you just aren’t sure what is going to even come out of their mouth, is the one who carries the word of the Lord to bring revelation to those listening? What if the one who doesn’t have the eloquent prayer and has the dirty hands from working all day long is the one who prays and as he lays his hands on the sick, sees them healed.

You see, who God chooses and who He uses doesn’t always come in the nice little trendy clothed, confident, big-word speaking, talented package. Often it is the very opposite. It’s how He came to this earth, born in a stable.  It’s his story line … traveling along a dirt road, no place to lay his head, no fancy clothing or entourage. It’s how he left, on an old rugged cross, stripped, beaten, unrecognizable. It’s how He still works on this earth, using the weak, the broken, the meek. Who we recognize and set up on a pedestal to deliver the message, sing the song, lead the worship, lead the group, heal the sick, evangelize to the lost, is not the only one capable nor always the right one, because it has always been and  must always be about the glory and power of God and not of man. 

Jesus showed us this the best as he chose his disciples. A diverse group of men from many walks of life. Rugged laborers, tax collectors, fishermen, scholars – none from the elite or prominent, but chosen and called to “Follow Me”, Jesus. He saw beyond their natural ability and outward appearance. He saw what many, including the disciples themselves, didn’t see, couldn’t see. They learned as they went. Christ believed in them, not because of their talent or personality, not because they were going to sport the latest fashion and fit in, not because they’d draw the crowd with their knowledge or eloquent words, and not based on whether they could sell themselves to the crowd. He believed in them because HE KNEW HIMSELF and the power that was going to come and fill them and move through them, in spite of them. This is who he chose to use, this is who he still chooses to use … ANYONE. He just needs a willing vessel, and they aren’t always the ones the world would naturally choose. 

 I love this. This is my hope. This is the truth. That no matter our strengths or our weaknesses, no matter our flaws, our pasts, no matter our personality, our ability or talent, or lack of one – God can use us, in spite of us,  and He will use others, often those whom we least expect. He loves to use “THE LEAST OF THESE”! All the glory and honor and power belongs to the Lord. That’s Who is supposed to get it to begin with.