2 Corinthians 3:5 (NLT) It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

In this life we make sure that our children go to school to get a good education. As they go into the upper grades, they begin to think about what they would like to do as a career in order to make a living so that they can make a life for themselves. This includes a place of their own to live and usually, a spouse and a family. That brings them to a crossroads where they either learn a trade or decide to go to a university to get a degree in a specific field. All of this training and learning is done so that at the end of the process, they will be qualified to do their chosen career with excellence and efficiency. The more that they give themselves to study or to learn their trade, the better they will be at their craft.

When it comes to the work of the Kingdom however, which we are all called to when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, it is quite different. When it comes to the Lord's work, there is nothing that can qualify us for it. As a matter of fact, a lot of what we have learned up until the time where our eyes were opened to the great salvation that was available to us is usually not helpful at all in Kingdom work. While we learned to work hard, be independent and use good old-fashioned know-how, all of that is quite detrimental to the work that we do in ministry. It becomes counter-productive to try to work in the spiritual realm with earthly methods.

The Apostle Paul was well qualified before having His eyes opened to the Gospel. He was a Pharisee who was rising in the ranks because of his intellect and his fervor for and knowledge of the law. He was even willing to execute Christians, who he believed were blasphemers for believing in Jesus as the Son of God. But when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, Paul was blinded and became like a new-born babe. He learned to become totally dependent on God and went on to say later in his ministry that all that he had achieved and all that he had learned prior to knowing Jesus he now considered as garbage in order to become one with Him (Philippians 3:7-8).

The Apostle Paul came to the realization that to be qualified for the work of the Kingdom of the Lord that he so loved, that qualification has to come from God Himself. With all of his training and expertise in the law, he didn't think that he was qualified for anything apart from being qualified by God. That is great news for all of us, especially those of us that believe that we do not have anything of value to offer to the Lord. Everyone has a place in the work of the Kingdom of God because it is God who qualifies us and equips us to do the work that He has called us to do. Fulfilling our calling as we are prepared by the Lord to do so is tremendously satisfying and rewarding and if we truly follow Jesus, we will be qualified to do anything that He gives us to do. Praise God for giving us new life and a new purpose that results in eternal rewards!

Pastor Joey Vazquez