For the next several posts I want to talk about calling — what it is, where it comes from, and how you actually find yours. And the best place to start isn’t a personality test. It’s a pattern that runs through the entire Bible.
A Pattern You Can’t Miss Once You See It
Abraham was called to father a nation while he and his wife were old and childless, with no visible qualification for the job beyond God’s word. Moses was called to confront Pharaoh and lead a nation out of slavery while actively protesting that he wasn’t a good enough public speaker to do it. David was anointed king while he was the youngest, most overlooked son in his own family, still tending sheep in a field while his brothers stood in the lineup everyone assumed mattered. None of them looked ready. All of them were called anyway.
God’s Math Runs Differently
When Samuel was sent to anoint Israel’s next king from among Jesse’s sons, he assumed the tallest, most impressive-looking son was the obvious choice. God corrected him directly.
For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
— 1 Samuel 16:7
This is a completely different qualification system than the one most of us are running. We look for résumés. God looks for availability.
What This Means for Your Own Waiting
If you’ve held back from a calling you sense on your life because you don’t feel qualified yet, you’re in extremely good company. Feeling unqualified was never the disqualifier Scripture presents it as. It was often the precondition for the kind of story where nobody could later claim the person did it on their own strength. If God is calling you toward something right now, your lack of readiness for it might not be the obstacle. It might be the whole point.
Andrew Washkow 
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