Disqualified but Qualified

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isaiah 6:1-6 (NLT)

Can you imagine being Isaiah and standing before God in the throne room? Imagine the power and glory that radiated in that spot? Angels flying all over singing, praising and worshipping the Lord of Hosts? What an overwhelming site to behold.

It’s no wonder that Isaiah stood there and said “Woe is me.” (KJV) I can’t imagine taking in the glory of God and saying anything else. In the midst of this moment, somewhere in the recesses of his mind the thought occurred that here he was, a completely sinful human, standing before God – the Holy One. As he stood there and realized he was in the presence of Holiness, what else could he say? The contrast between his utter failure to God’s perfection....well, I would say “Woe is me” too.

And I do. We don’t see everything God is doing all around us. He is always at work and we miss most of it. But we do get to catch glimpses of Him every now and again. When I do, I, like Isaiah, verbalize a form of “Woe is me.” It comes out more like “I can’t do this. I am not qualified. This is too big for me. I don’t have the training.” I realize as I see Him move in His absolutely mind-blowing ways, that my insignificance, my sin, my attitudes are all disqualifiers.

But then I remember that there wasn’t one human being ever that was qualified to represent God. Not one.

As Isaiah processed his “unclean lips”, a seraphim flew over to the Alter, picked up a hot coal with a tong and placed it on his lips. He said “Your guilt is removed.” (NLT) God gave Isaiah a gift of forgiveness and healing.

We’ve been given that gift too. As Jesus hung on the cross He uttered the words “It is finished.” You are forgiven. Your sins have been removed. Same gift that was offered to Isaiah.

And like Isaiah, each of us is called. We all have a job to do in God’s Kingdom. He has something for every one of his kids to accomplish. When I am tempted to think “I can’t because...” I need to remember that because of Jesus, I can. I have been qualified. So have you.

And I will lean into my calling. Because I love Him. I will face my fears and inadequacies knowing that Jesus lives in me and because of His sacrifice, His power enables me. When life is over and I bow before His throne, I won’t be afraid any more. When I hear Him say “Well done”, I will know the journey was worth it.

Which Job?

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (MSG)

I have two jobs. One is the job I do to make money and the other is the job God has called me to do. In the past, I would get frustrated because it was hard juggling these two things. I kept feeling that if I was doing the God thing, I wasn’t being committed to the pay thing. And visa versus. What I really want to do full-time is the God job but that is not what he is allowing (at least right now.)

The frustration kept bubbling around in my mind and honestly, it was derailing me so that I didn’t feel like I was doing anything well. Lately, God has been teaching me though. Can I share some of what I’m learning?

We all have two jobs. There is the thing you are doing each day as your “day job.” This could be working for a paycheck, being a stay-at-home mom, caring for elderly parents, etc. Then, we each have a call that God has put on our life. That call looks different for everyone and it is super specific to you. What I’m learning is there is usually a theme that runs through your day job and your call.

Usually, you are using the gifts you have been given by the Holy Spirit at both your “jobs.” You are just using them in different ways. And that’s OK because where ever you are and whatever you are doing is actually all for God.

I am learning that each day God places before me what he wants me to do. Some days that leans heavily toward my paying job. Some days it leans heavily toward my God job and some days it’s a complete mix. Instead of trying to make it look like I want it to, I am trying to let God lead. I am asking him to guide my day and make it what he wants.

Does it always look neat and tidy and predictable? Absolutely not. That’s probably what drives me nuts! But so far, I have not missed a deadline, I have not shirked on any major responsibilities (there are little things that don’t get done, I’ll be honest.) But most importantly, I feel that I am right where I need to be. I can let up on the striving. I can rest and let God be God and lead me where he wants.

One more thought, whatever God gives you to do today, do it with all your might. Every little thing we do should be for his glory.