When we think about being called by God, we can sometimes imagine that God only calls people who already have everything together. We may assume that before God can use us, we need to have the right personality, the right background, the right experience, or even the right level of spiritual maturity. But Mark 3 gives us a very different picture.

Jesus goes up on a mountain and calls to Himself the people He desires. From that group, He appoints twelve apostles. These twelve men would become representatives of His ministry and would eventually proclaim the gospel and exercise authority in His name.
But when we look closely at the people Jesus called, we discover something important: they were complicated.

They came from different backgrounds. They had different personalities, different strengths, and different weaknesses. They would make mistakes, struggle with doubt, and, in one case, betray Jesus. And Jesus called them anyway.

Mark tells us that Jesus
“called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.”
There is something powerful about the initiative of Jesus in this passage. The disciples did not apply for the position. They did not campaign to become apostles. They did not submit resumes highlighting their qualifications. Jesus called them.

That means the calling of God is not ultimately about our ability to convince God that we are qualified. It begins with His initiative. We don't have to prove that we are worthy of His attention.

Jesus intentionally called twelve men. The number itself was significant because Israel had been established through twelve tribes. Jesus was forming a group through whom He would proclaim the arrival of God's kingdom.

But these twelve were far from identical.

Peter was a prominent leader, but he was also impulsive and outspoken. James and John were called the “Sons of Thunder,” which tells us something about the intensity of their personalities. Matthew was a tax collector who worked within the Roman system, while Simon the Zealot was associated with opposition to Roman rule.

Under normal circumstances, Matthew and Simon might never have shared a meal, much less a ministry. They represented radically different perspectives and came from very different places. Yet Jesus called both of them.

That is part of the complexity of the call. God does not only call people who think alike or come from the same background. He calls different people with different stories, personalities, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses, and then He brings them together around Himself.

Even Judas Iscariot was among those Jesus appointed, knowing that Judas would eventually betray Him. Jesus knew their strengths. He knew their struggles. He knew their personalities. He knew their possibilities. He knew their failures.

And He called them anyway.

This should encourage us because the church is full of imperfect people.
There will be disagreements. There will be different personalities, backgrounds, perspectives, gifts, and weaknesses. Sometimes there will even be conflict. But perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that imperfect people struggle to get along. God has always been willing to gather imperfect people together and transform them for His purposes.

The question is not whether we are imperfect. The question is whether we are willing to let Jesus transform us. That means being able to pray, “Lord, whatever isn't like You, take it out of me.” We can ask God to change the way we see, the way we speak, and the way we love. We can ask Him to work on our hearts so that our lives increasingly reflect His character.

The goal isn't simply for God to use us. The goal is for God to transform us as He uses us.
Jesus calls people who are still being shaped.

Some of the disciples became well known, while others served without receiving nearly as much attention. Some were bold, some were quiet, some were skeptical, and some were temperamental. Yet Jesus had a purpose for all of them.

Maybe you don't have somebody else's personality. Maybe you don't have their education, experience, gifts, or testimony. Maybe your story doesn't look like theirs. That does not mean you are disqualified from being used by God.

You don't have to be somebody else for Jesus to use you.

The King who calls you knows how to shape you. He knows how to train you, lead you, and prepare you for what He has called you to do. If Jesus could call and use people as complex and imperfect as the twelve disciples, He can use you too.

If you belong to Christ, there is a place for you.

Take a moment today and consider how you view yourself in light of God’s calling. Do you sometimes assume that your weaknesses, past experiences, personality, or lack of qualifications make you less useful to God? Mark 3 reminds us that Jesus called people with very different backgrounds, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Their differences did not prevent Jesus from calling them.

What part of yourself have you been tempted to believe disqualifies you from being used by God?

The disciples also remind us that being called by Jesus does not mean we have already arrived. They were still being shaped, corrected, and transformed. Jesus knew who they were when He called them, including their strengths, struggles, possibilities, and failures. He calls us with that same knowledge.

What is God currently trying to transform in you? Are you willing to let Him change the parts of your life that do not reflect His character?

Finally, consider how you respond to people who are different from you. Jesus brought together people who, under normal circumstances, may never have chosen to associate with one another. Their unity did not come from being alike; it came from the One who called them.

Are there people you struggle to understand, accept, or work alongside? What would it look like to allow Jesus to shape the way you see them?

You don't have to be somebody else for Jesus to use you. Your differences do not disqualify you, and your imperfections do not surprise Him. The same Jesus who called a complicated group of twelve disciples is still calling imperfect people today. The question is whether we will trust His call and allow Him to transform us for His purposes.