Job Qualifications

Remember your first job?  Mine was at a car dealership.

Before I was hired, I was interviewed by a manager by the name of Mr. Carlson.  The interview was intimidating enough, but Mr. Carlson was even more intimidating.  He was a tall, serious fellow who asked me what qualifications I had to work at their dealership, for which I had none.  But after all that, I was finally hired, and given the highly esteemed title of “Lot Attendant.“  Don’t laugh, I got to drive Jaguars, MGs, Triumphs, and Volvos.

In the New Testament we’re told that Apostles looked to select some people to do work around the church.  The qualifications for the position were simple:

”Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.“ (Ac 6:3)

Being a person of good reputation is important, but that second qualification stands out the most to me, “full of the Holy Spirit.”  One might even ask, “Aren’t all Christians ‘full of the Holy Spirit?’”  Apparently not, or it would not have been mentioned as a specific qualification. 

Yes, the Holy Spirit is resident in every person who has made Jesus Lord of their life, yet there is a filling with the Holy Spirit that can be described as “full,” or even, “overflowing.”  This is what the Apostles were looking for.  This is what God is still looking for.

The beautiful thing about being qualified for God’s work is that we need not feel intimidated by our lack of skills.  In God’s kingdom, whatever we lack, He will freely give us as we are continually filled with the Holy Spirit.   Someone once wisely said,

"God does not call the qualified, but he qualifies the called”

And with no apologies to Mr. Carlson, we’ll be given the a much better title: “Servant of God.”