Are You Qualified?
“What are your qualifications?” It is a question I have been asked many times. Most of the time it was in the context of applying for a job or was asked in a personal interview. I remember when I was applying for a media sales job that one of the tasks for the application process was to put together a “brag book.” Yes, the employer literally wanted to me brag about all of my accomplishments that would hopefully qualify me for the job. Honestly, the thought of doing that made me sick. But what I realized, and this is quite true for all of us, is that the world will always want us to prove ourselves worthy before they award us.
Is this the expectation of God? Does he ask us to prove ourselves before he awards us with his love and acceptance? I mean, if the world does it, who are they learning it from? Often times we’ve learned to be afraid to approach God because we feel that if we don’t measure up, then we disqualify ourselves from his love. This may be true of how the world treats people, but that’s not how it’s done in the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul shows us a better way in Colossians 1:12 (NIV)
“…giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”
There are three truths to this statement that I believe Paul wants desperately for us to get:
Jesus gets us the job.
We don’t gain acceptance from God on our own merits. We don’t need to put together a brag book of all the things we do right and then hope that we are good enough. The truth is that Jesus Christ qualified us! He is the one that put together our brag book. He is the one that went on the interview with God. And he is the one that nailed the interview for us and got us the job! If you are struggling with feeling like you’re not good enough for God’s acceptance, embrace what Jesus did for you and come boldly to God. Hebrews 4:16.
Jesus gets us the reward.
Now that we know that God accepts us because of what Jesus did, we can share in the reward (inheritance). But what is that reward? First, it is complete access to a deep and loving relationship with God. Remember, Jesus qualified us to be in the presence of God. It’s like having access to the boss, teacher, pastor, or coach 24-7. Not only that, we also get to look forward to and share in the eternal rewards of heaven and all the benefits that come with it! Let’s not miss out on the rewards that are available to us now or forget what is to come. Ephesians 2:18.
Jesus gives us praise.
What do I mean by that? God in his perfect love and justice set the bar high for you and me to qualify for the kingdom. But as a holy God, he had every right to do so, and he knew that left to our own qualifications we would never get in. So essentially, he ordered his equal partner, Jesus, to come down and be our qualification. Have we ever experienced that anywhere else in life? I certainly haven’t! What an incredible gift! God must really love us so much that he would give his one and only son to stand in our place because we could not do it on our own. We have so much to be thankful for. Let’s continually praise God for all that he has done for us and never forget his promise! Psalm 103:1-5
Today, you may be struggling with acceptance. Perhaps you’re not sure how you will measure up to your peers, or if you have what it takes to do your job, or if you will be good enough for the team. Even more so, you’re not sure if you even qualify for God’s love. And while it’s true that doors may open and doors may close to you throughout your lifetime based on your qualifications and or performance, true acceptance comes through the blood of Jesus Christ who has qualified you to walk through an open door to the kingdom that never shuts. Have you accepted him? There is no better day, than today.
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