(Un)qualified

I am so excited. I recently finished the manuscript for a Bible study called Valiant.  It’s an in depth look at how a believer can live with resilience in the face of opposition, trials, and the regular everyday “stuff” of life.  The answer lies in a deeper understanding of the valiant love God has for us. From Genesis to Revelation, God has revealed His deep, radical, passionate love for us in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.  As we come to more fully know God’s unstoppable love, we develop the grit to face whatever trials come our way with confidence. To love as we have been loved.

Recently someone in the publishing industry kindly gave me some guidance on how to begin the process of getting the book from my computer into your hands.  He gave me lots of practical advice. And he also was very honest that the odds are against a publisher printing the work of a first-time author.

Now in the past there’s a very good chance I would have read his message and been discouraged. If there’s no chance, why even bother trying?  But not this time. Because I’ve learned some things along the way in preparing the Valiant study.

From the publisher’s viewpoint, I am completely unqualified.  I’m an unknown, a nobody, a risk.

But what I’ve learned is that this scenario is actually completely perfect.  If I were qualified, the book wouldn’t be worth reading. It’s God who qualifies me.  It’s God who has called me, identified me as His, given me a purpose, and made me His daughter and an heir of His Kingdom. He did this all for me in spite of the fact that I was completely undeserving.  It’s all because of His matchless, marvelous grace that is completely sufficient for every obstacle I face.

As a matter of fact, in God’s economy, the less I have going for me, the more perfectly I set the stage to highlight His grace.  To live in grace acknowledges that we aren’t enough on our own. It makes no pretense about having ever been enough. Instead it trusts wholly in the truth that Christ died for the ones who don’t have what it takes, and His work is to qualify and equip us to do what God created and saved us to do.

This is why I’m so excited.  Because I’m completely insufficient for this task, and God’s grace is perfectly sufficient.

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need (it’s completely sufficient). My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, comment added

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