Nobody’s resume
Daily Scripture
Acts 4:13
13 The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
When the religious leaders in Jerusalem saw Peter and John speak with such boldness, Acts says they were astonished, because they realized these were “uneducated and inexperienced” men. No formal training, nothing on paper that explained what they were watching. The only thing Luke, the author of Acts, offers as an explanation is that they’d been with Jesus.
That pattern runs all through Scripture. Joseph was a forgotten prisoner, sold out by his own brothers and overlooked for years, yet Genesis says plainly that God was with him even in that cell. David was a shepherd boy nobody expected to matter, and he walked onto a battlefield and brought down Goliath. Neither one looked qualified beforehand. God’s presence didn’t seem to require it.
- Is there something you’ve assumed you’re not qualified to do, because you don’t have the right training or background for it? What would it take to hold that assumption more loosely?
- Peter and John’s boldness wasn’t something they built, it came from having simply been with Jesus. What’s one way you could spend unhurried time with him, not to manufacture confidence, but just to be near him and let whatever comes of that come?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I sometimes wait to feel qualified before I’ll step into what you’re calling me toward. Thank you that you’ve never required credentials, only availability. Amen.
GPS Insights
Lauren Cook
Have you ever heard the term “imposter syndrome”? I think most of us have, and likely, we’ve experienced it.
I did a quick Google search, and imposter syndrome is defined as “a psychological pattern involving persistent self-doubt, feelings of fraudulence, and the fear of being exposed, despite proof of one’s competence.” Google went on to say that characteristics of imposter syndrome include attributing success to luck, fear of failure, perfectionism, and downplaying praise.
As a recovering perfectionist, I feel these things deeply in my soul. I really only like to do new things I know I will succeed at, play games I’m likely to win, talk to people who want to be my friend, or go on adventures where I still have a sense of control. Anyone else?
So, had Jesus called me to do something? I would have been exactly like Moses and said, “Oh, I’m sure there is someone better!”
In fact, every time I sit down to write one of these GPS posts, step in front of a camera for Resurrection Online, or in those last five minutes ahead of an event starting—I am 110% sure there are many people who would be a better writer, communicator, or event planner than I am. My college degree is in Elementary Education—not any of these things!
But here’s the thing: There ARE people who are better at all those things than I am. That doesn’t mean that I am not also capable of these things or that I am not the right person for a certain thing at a certain point in time.
We are so quick to judge ourselves, to think less of ourselves, to put ourselves down, especially when we’re playing the comparison game. And yet, God calls us fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Scripture says that we are God’s handiwork and that God prepares us for what He calls us to (Eph. 2:10), that our competence comes from God (2 Cor. 3:5), that the Lord is with us in all that we do (Judges 6:12), and that we can do all things through Him (Phil. 4:13).
It’s not about us, it’s about God. It’s about who God created us to be and what He is calling us to do. He will never call us to something that He isn’t going to prepare us for and what He calls us to will never miss us.
So whatever that thing or situation is that you’re thinking about right now, the one that’s been keeping you up at night or that you’ve been questioning endlessly, especially the one that you really want but that you don’t feel good enough for—remember that your confidence comes from your Creator who calls you to great things. You are not an imposter, you are beloved and made for more. Live into that truth today and see what happens (and then tell me the amazing story!!!)
