Calling the Unqualified

In the classic Christmas movie, The Santa Clause, Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, an overworked business man with a young son, Charlie.

Although Scott loves his son, he doesn’t take as much time for his kid as he should.  Scott carves out just one moment of time to celebrate Christmas with Charlie. 

But, early on Christmas morning, Scott and Charlie awake to a sound on their roof.  When Scott goes out to check out the sound, he ends up startling Santa Claus, causing Santa to fall off of the roof of Scott’s house. 

Through a series of unexpected events, Scott ends up unknowingly reading a contract that puts him in place as the new Santa Claus.  Hence the title, The Santa Clause.

At first, Scott pushes back against his new role. But, the magic of Christmas is too strong for Scott to fight as he gains weight, grows a big white beard, and starts dressing in all red.

For much of the movie, Scott struggles with feeling too busy, unhappy, or unqualified to be Santa.  However, with the help of his son Charlie, Scott realizes the importance of his calling to be the big guy on Christmas.

Scott is bothered by many of the same thoughts that we feel when God calls us to something big.

We feel like we aren’t qualified.  That we don’t have the time, energy or skills to take on a new role.

A common phrase that we need to keep in mind is: God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

While we struggle with focusing on our limitations, or our past, or our schedule, God says “I have created you for this.”

In the Old Testament, the book of Esther, we see God’s people, the Jews, being threatened by one of the leading officials: Haman.

You may know the story, but a quick summary:  At the beginning of the book King Xerxes’ wife, Queen Vashti is deposed and King Xerxes begins the search for a new queen. After a search of the whole land, he is made aware of a young woman named Esther. 

Xerxes decides that he wants Esther to be his wife and the next queen.  What he did not realize of Esther was that she was Jewish.  There was some animosity between the Persians and the Jews. 

So, Esther accepts the offer to be queen but keeps her nationality a secret from Xerxes.  Her cousin, Mordecai, who raised her, becomes an official in the King’s palace. However, after some time, a decree is set forth that all of the palace employees would bow to the second in command- Haman.

Mordecai refused to bow to anyone but God, which infuriated Haman.  Haman plotted to kill, not only Mordecai, but all the Jews in the land, to teach them a lesson.

When Mordecai learned of the plan to eradicate his people, he conferred with his cousin to figure out what to do.

Esther was at first fearful of the King’s response if she were to stand up to him by speaking against Haman and the plan to kill the Jews.

But, in Esther 4:14, Mordecai reminds her that she has an opportunity to help their people, that God had specifically placed her in the King’s house, and that perhaps she was placed in her royal position “for such a time as this.”

The same was true for Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause.  Ok, that’s just a movie about Santa.

But, the same is also true for you.  God is calling you to something big, and there is nothing that makes you unqualified for it if you trust Him.

You have big dreams and desires that God has given you to bring Him glory and share who He is with others.  You may think that you aren’t good enough, you’re too busy, or whatever other excuse you have been telling yourself.

You can’t wait until you feel put together enough, or qualified enough to pursue what God is calling you to.

You were created “for such a time as this” to do important things with and for God.

Don’t wait to be qualified, accept the calling, step out in faith and He will be all the qualification you need!