Sometimes in life, God blesses us with opportunities that we feel we don’t deserve. Not because we are a horrible person or because there’s someone better suited for the job, but often times we feel as though our experience and expertise doesn’t fit the criteria to perform at a certain position successfully. We either don’t have the education, right amount of experience, or the preferred background – the list goes on. Bottom line is, the title we’re given and our qualifications do not match . Initially, we’re overwhelmed and we’re grateful right? But then, those insecurities start to creep up on us and we allow our minds to wander: What if they made a mistake? What if I fail? Why did they even choose me? We begin to question ourselves and question God’s plan for our life.
Most people naturally have a fear of failure. Whether we are prepared or not, we still want to prosper in whatever tasks we’re assigned and dread not doing so. What makes it worse, we as a society, love making comparisons. We compare everything from accomplishments and failures to social statuses and finances. Looking at other people’s success increases our fears and we put it in our heads that we have to fill their shoes or be better. In these situations, we look at others who’ve held the position we’re in, see all the reasons they succeeded and fail to see those same potential in ourselves. Our anxiety builds and we focus on all the reasons we’re wrong for the job while ignoring all the reasons we’re right for it. We discredit ourselves when speaking to others just in case we don’t perform to their standards. Before we even begin our tasks we give excuses on why we can’t or won’t be good at what we’re doing. We start presentations saying, Uhh, I’m a little nervous so sorry in advance if I mess up. Or before we turn in a project we’re not completely satisfied with, we degrade it to our peers and superiors just enough so that if it is inadequate we are met with more grace. We give fair warning of anything negative that might potentially happen and defend it because we’re expecting it to happen before we’re able to deliver.
Why is it always so easy for us to doubt ourselves? Maybe not everyone experiences this, but I’ve seen it so many times. What goes through our head when we question the favor that God has over us? We are so much more than a list of checked boxes on a job application. We have our own experiences and go through things that we learn from each day. We have our individual qualities and personalities that make us different and unique. Who’s to say we’re not qualified? Because God is sovereign and He places people where they should be, wouldn’t it make sense that He is the one who does the qualifying? The only thing that could disqualify us, truly, is lack of obedience and willingness to God. When we make ourselves available, no man nor woman can tell us how God can and will use us. We have to trust God enough to know that even if we don’t seem like the perfect candidate on paper, we are put in positions for specific purposes – all by His design. Though through others’ eyes and your own, you may not have it all together, God sees you in a different light and is ready to take you places. Try looking at yourself through God’s eyes and watch your fear and anxiety disappear.
“God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called” -Unknown
