Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26–29, NIV 1984).
My Musings – “Nothing in this world can take the place of [character]. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. [Character] and determination [to do what is right] alone are omnipotent.” (Calvin Coolidge).
“Good-to-great companies placed greater weight on character attributes than on specific educational background, practical skills, specialized knowledge, or work experience. Not that specific knowledge or skills are unimportant, but they viewed these traits as more teachable (or at least learnable), whereas they believed dimensions like character, work ethic, basic intelligence, dedication to fulfilling commitments, and values are more ingrained.” (Jim Collins, “Good to Great).
What was so great about ordinary people like Joseph, Gideon, David, Esther and the Disciples? Not the oldest. No “specific educational background, practical skills, or specialized knowledge” that was extraordinarily impressive. Not necessarily a resume that stood out from others in the stack. But they had character. They had determination to do what was right. They were not so caught up in their own genius, talents or education that they were not teachable or too proud to learn. There are exceptions, of course. Like Moses, Daniel and Paul.
My Advice – Think you are too foolish, weak, lowly or despised to be of much use for the Kingdom? Not wise, influential or noble enough to make an impact? Not many are, but if you are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, you were chosen by Him. So, think again. “You can teach farmers [or fishermen] to make steel, but you cannot teach a farmer’s [or fisherman’s] work ethic [or character] to people who don’t have it in the first place.” (Jim Collins, “Good to Great).
When they saw the [character] of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, NIV 1984).
The Brew Is A Musing 