I don’t know about you, but I am quick to qualify and disqualify myself in many arenas. If I think I know more on a subject, I’m eligible to speak. If my thoughts are shaky on a subject, I’m more likely to shrink back. I have sidelined myself more times than I care to admit because I didn’t feel eligible.

 

As I was walking out of bible study this week, a friend casually mentioned that she only studied in high school to be eligible for sports. A chuckle escaped my mouth because something about her confession felt personal. Being eligible is about meeting requirements to qualify for participation. In sports, grades qualify you to participate and that’s exactly what she was implying. She did just enough to qualify.

 

Conversation continued, but I was mentally stuck on being “eligible.” I emerged from my own private world and said, I wonder how many of us live in the “just enough to qualify” bracket of life. I wonder how many followers of Christ accept salvation to be eligible to spend eternity in heaven, but miss the abundance of walking in hope until then. I wonder what the church would look like if we put in more effort than simply being qualified.

 

There are things I know God is calling me to do, but I’ve mastered the ability to disqualify myself. When He put it on my heart to write a bible study, I told Him I wasn’t eligible because I didn’t have a degree in theology {which totally makes sense}. When He laid it on our hearts to foster/adopt locally, we reminded Him we didn’t have enough bedrooms, so we were ineligible.

 

Anybody getting this with me?

 

I wonder how many Kingdom things have been sacrificed on the notion of eligibility…

 

I wonder how many people feel a strong call to start an outreach in their community, but shrink back because they don’t feel like they meet the requirements…

 

I wonder how many people are doing just enough to play in the game, but miss the thrill of leading the team…

 

I wonder how many people have confused eligibility with perfection, like me…

 

Maybe you need these words today as much as I do. In the life of a believer, we are eligible because of the sacrifice of Jesus and the gift of grace…not on our own merit, or good works.

 

Eligibility isn’t something we work for; it is something we work from.