One thing that most everyone has in common is doubt. How many times have you thought to yourself, am I worthy of the call? Or another way to put it, am I qualified? It could be for many different things; a new job, marriage, parenthood, or being a leader. Regardless, there’s something you should know about the doubt. It is not what God wants for you. In fact, He has great plans for you!
As people fairly new to The Village Christian Church, my husband and I have both found our minds swirling with questions recently. How should we serve? Should we serve at all? Are we the type of people God is calling at this moment for this task? Are we spiritually mature enough? Am I worthy of what God is calling me to do?
When we ask these and other doubt-filled questions, we are typically reflecting through the lens of our mistakes, limitations, and the belief that we must be spotless before God will use us.
But ultimately, when we ask ourselves if we are worthy of what God is calling us to do, we are questioning His plan for us. In voicing these questions to God, each other, friends, family, and new church family and mentors alike over the past few months, we have consistently been met with a similar answer. God wants to use (all of) us exactly where we are at right now. Yet, we find ourselves resisting God’s plan nonetheless.
Understanding Our Resistance
To understand the resistance we feel, we must start by recognizing two truths: God’s plan and the enemy’s. You see, those questions I listed above are rooted in our enemy’s mindset, not God’s. They are questions that doubt God’s plan and purpose. They cause us to hesitate instead of acting on faith that He has us exactly where we are supposed to be to further His mission. The enemy has two goals: to keep us from God and to sabotage His work.
But God’s plan is greater than anything we could ever imagine. It is our job to respond to His love for us with obedience. We have to trust that it is He plans to use us in our imperfect state to carry out His perfect mission.
God’s love wants to reach everyone so He uses all of us to fulfill that mission. You have been gifted a unique ability based on exactly where you are in your life to do God’s work. He already has the plan. You just have to answer the call.
This can be scary. We are required to set aside our fears, doubts, and insecurities. It calls us to trust in Him by setting aside our plans and visions. It calls us to trust in something we cannot always see or understand.
How Do We Overcome This?
This naturally leads to questions about how we can overcome our doubts and resistance. But, fortunately, God has outlined this for us too.
We can also use the armor of God, which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit (the Word of God), and prayer (Ephesians 6: 10-18).
During Nate’s message on the Bible, he reminded us that the enemy is not the flesh and blood, including ourselves; it is the devil. By adorning the armor that God created for us, we can equip ourselves in the way God knew we would need. The Word of God, scripture, is key to understanding our armor. It is the basis and foundation of our faith, revealing God’s plan.
Specifically, by using prayer, we begin to strengthen our relationship with God. He wants a personal relationship with every one of us. Through faithful prayer, we further understand God’s purpose for us.
We can also talk to fellow believers who are going to understand our doubts and remind us of God’s love for us and how to trust His plan. The Village offers opportunities to do this: Connect in a Lifegroup, experience Rooted, find a place to serve others, work through a discipleship study where you learn how to tell others about Jesus or get involved in other events the church offers. Take action because you are worthy of the call.
If you need help taking that next step or have questions, email The Village.
