Called Anyhow

The current economic climate of our country has put the job market in the forefront of many American’s minds and has become a major talking point for the upcoming presidential election. I can recall when things first began to decline, there was a news report about a guy who was highly educated walking the streets wearing a wooden placard over his shoulders stating what college he graduated from and asking for a job interview. Unfortunately, things have only worsened since then.

A blip on the economic radar about a person seeking employment in an unconventional way has given way to a widespread epidemic of constant focus of the unemployment rate and how to best go about creating more jobs for people in our country. And now, it is not only the guy in the picture, but it is our own families and friends who are struggling without employment.

Possibly, as you read this you are unemployed and having trouble getting back on your feet because work is so scarce. Perhaps you are working, but it is not enough to sustain you for the next 25 or 30 years and then retire. Or you could even be one of those people who are highly educated, well-experienced and has sterling references to boot, but you just can’t get anyone to call you back. Isn’t that the thing that shocks us most about that person carrying the sign? That they seem so well-qualified and so prepared for success yet they cannot find work. They have done things according to the “blueprint” for success; good grades in high school, good grades in college, squeeze in an internship and you should be on your way to the big house and white picket, cruising along to retirement. That is what is most bothersome—that we could do everything right and still end up in a bad situation.

I’m so glad that God does not deal with us like that. Could you imagine if we had to present our resumes to God in order to qualify for his acceptance? Don’t stop reading now, just imagine what your resume may look like even if it just covered the last 10 years. If God was reviewing your resume, looking for high moral proficiency and spiritual aptitude, where would your resume fall in the pile? Instead of finding all those people who would only say something good about you, what if God referenced those you’ve hurt, those you’ve ignored and been rude to, those you’ve used for your own personal gain or those who you’ve said bad things about? The Bible tells us that God is not the type of God who only accepts you based on your track record, in actuality its quite the opposite.

“Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence. Not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose what the world thinks is unimportant and what the world looks down on and thinks is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.”

(1 Corinthians 1:26-28, NCV)

You see there are some jobs that we may not qualify for but these days people are applying for any and everything they can because they just need work. If nothing else, maybe they will get lucky or maybe God will supernaturally work something out and they’ll find work. But if they were honest, looking at their resume and their track record and the competitive field of other applicants, they probably don’t expect to get a call. But when your resume hits God’s desk, it makes you a prime candidate. In a world which highly values traditional education and is often times more about who you know rather than what you know, you are exactly what God is looking for. What most call uneducated becomes “teachable”. What most call inexperienced God calls “shapeable”. Shortcomings become limitless potential and it’s not only about being accepted and loved by the grace of God, but you qualify for an assignment. You qualify to do some work. All those things that you thought counted against you are now working in your favor and in spite of your resume, you get called anyhow!