Unqualified
Unqualified by Steven Furtick is a book that reminds Christians that we don't have to be perfect to be used by God. Pastor Steven re-ensures the reader that even though we may feel unqualified, God's grace is sufficient. I chose to read this book because I felt insecure and unqualified for many things. I love how Pastor Steven interprets Biblical stories that I've heard all my life. He has a skill for bringing characters to life, by revealing their relatable human qualities and applying that to the overall message of the gospel. In this book he focus on Jacob's life and his transformation from being a conniving, jealous and deceitful person, to being used as a reference of God's goodness. I've never made the connection between Jacobs struggle with his identity, how his fight with Esau was really just a fight with himself. If you feel unworthy, unprepared or unqualified for anything, this is the perfect book to read. I highly recommend this book especially for those going through a transitional stage in life. There are so many good points in this book so i'll give you a few of my favorite quotes.
“Peace and confidence come through one thing: acceptance. In a culture fixated on self-improvement and self-help, that might seem counterintuitive. But it’s true.
First, God’s unconditional acceptance of you. God knows your true identity - the real you - and he loves you just as you are. ”
“God wasn’t to do something beyond your abilities, and he is far less intimidated by your failures and limits than you are ”
“The more you grow to know God, the more you will grow to know, and I believe, enjoy yourself”
“And third, your acceptance of God’s process of change. God’s work in your life isn’t meant to squelch or eradicate the real you but rather to bring out the best possible version of you”
“God can’t bless who you pretend to be ”
“We are constantly morphing, and continually reinventing ourselves”
“The idea that we can find ourselves without first finding God is a fallacy ”
If you were God and wanted to make yourslf known, wouldn't you call yourself the God of Israel?
Yet God said to Moses, and he says to us today, "If you want to know who I am, you need to understand I'm the God of Jacob too. I'm the God of all the mistakes you've made. I'm the God of all parts of you that you don't want anybody to see. I'm not just the God of your success. I'm the God os your struggle. I'm not just the God of your victories. I'm the God of your defeats.
I am the God of jacob. - Pg. 195
Who we are right now - with our weaknesses and strengths, our failures and successes - is not the problem. Who we are is the solution. Somehow, incredibly, those things that drive us crazy about ourselves might be central to the fulfillment of our potential. - Pg. 88
If we can defeat our intternal insecurties, if we can embrace who we are and the process we are in, then it doesn't really matter what opposes us from without. We can overcome any struggle, any enemy, any critic. - Pg. 199
