Up to the Job
Have you ever had a job for which you didn’t feel qualified? I think we all have, whether it was a paying gig or not. A lot of us parents often feel in awe of the magnitude of that role and lose sleep worrying that we made the wrong decision in one situation or a bad call in another. Some of us feel intimidated by what our communities need from us, on the parish level or in our personal relationships. Or maybe we are simply dreading a task that seems too big, too overwhelming — that necessary basement cleanout, or the weekly organization of family schedules.

When we don’t feel qualified, we don’t want to do the work. We get stuck in our own fear. That’s the birthplace of procrastination, self-doubt and bitterness. When we look inward at our own abilities, we can only see all the traits that aren’t there. The intelligence, the dexterity, the ambition — whatever it is we lack, we get stuck on it.

I’ve got good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad news: none of us are qualified for the call of discipleship. We simply aren’t. We don’t have the love or grace or strength to get the job done. 

Now I’ll give you the good news: God knows this, and He doesn’t care. Stewardship does not insist that we possess every good quality — no, as a way of life, stewardship recognizes that we lack so many qualities. But it shows us where to find the love and grace and strength we need. Stewardship does not demand that we know every answer; it merely reminds us who to ask when we don’t.