I’m not pedigreed to do what I do. That’s what used to bother me. I don’t come from a prominent preacher family. Nor do I possess any unique talent, such as playing the piano or singing. I’m me, a person who said “Yes” when God called. Even though I obeyed God’s call, that doesn’t mean that I felt as if I fit in with the preacher crowd. On the contrary, I felt as if I were a planet orbiting around the Earth that was filled with those who were of the preacher pedigree.
Hubs (Jamie) comes from such a pedigree, at least that is what I would have said when my thinking was this way. His father was our pastor for our entire married lives until he passed away in January 2024. Together with Jamie’s mom, he taught us to obey God even when obedience meant going against everything that seemed logical.
A famous phone call
When we were living in Burundi years ago during a civil war, Jamie called his father for advice. An economic embargo was imposed on the country by surrounding nations in an attempt to halt hostilities. This meant that flights in/out of the country were going to cease. Evacuation flights were made available (you could book a seat for a price, just like any other flight), and the US Embassy was pressuring us to leave.
During that now-famous phone call, Jamie asked his father (Dad) for advice. We didn’t want to leave our church, but the situation seemed to leave us with no choice. An embargo meant food scarcity, a scarcity of medicines, and no way out of the country. However, we were not at peace with leaving. When Dad heard our heart, he said, “Son, if your mother heard what I am about to tell you, she’d kill me. You know what you have to do.”
With that, Jamie hung up the phone, and we both summoned the courage to do what we knew we had to do: stay. Yes, things were difficult for a while after the embargo was put in place, but we never lacked a thing.
It’s not where we come from
What makes us pedigreed to serve God isn’t where we come from, what church we belong to, or how miraculously we were saved. What makes us of that “pedigree” is obedience.
You may feel you are the least likely candidate to do anything significant for God. Well, doing something of significance for God isn’t measured by its visibility or scope of influence. Significance in God’s Kingdom is measured by our obedience and surrender to doing whatever He has called us to, no matter how visible or invisible it may seem.
God doesn’t look at our pedigree according to this world’s standards. This includes the spoken and unspoken standards of the Christian community. Prostitutes, alcoholics, drug addicts, and even ordinary people like you and me qualify; we are pedigreed, according to God’s standard, if we obey.
Somebodies to serve God
When Jesus was crucified and then died, all of His disciples deserted Him. He was alone, and before they left Him, He knew it would happen.
Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
John 16:32 (NKJV)
The only ones who were with Him at the time of His death were the Roman soldiers and a few women who stayed near the cross (Matthew 27:54-56 and Mark 15:40-41). I find this so interesting. Those who were least likely in that day and age to be “somebodies” became those who God used. The Roman soldier who pierced Jesus’ side wouldn’t be qualified for service according to any of our standards. But church history tells us that he (named Longinus) was martyred for his faith by Pilate. And one of the women who followed Jesus to the cross (Mary Magdalene) was the first to meet Jesus.
Mary Magdalene, as you may know, was the woman from whom Jesus cast out evil spirits. She is also the one who anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive oil, a gesture that drew disdain from the disciples. This Mary was not someone who would be considered to qualify to be in the presence of Jesus. In addition to her struggles, she was a woman. Being female in that era meant being subordinate to men, as the society was distinctly patriarchal.
A secret disciple, not of the pedigree
Even those who took Jesus’ body and placed it in a tomb were not of the “pedigree” we would have thought to undertake such a sacred task. One, a prominent member of the Jewish council (Mark 15:43), was called a “secret” disciple; the other, Nicodemus, was a Pharisee (John 19:39), a member of the group responsible for the crucifixion.
The common thread among these unlikely candidates is that none of them seems worthy of service. Who would want a murderous soldier, a prostitute, a wealthy council member who followed Jesus in secret, or a Pharisee, one from the very group that sought His death, working for them? And yet, God did.
The curious thing is that Jesus didn’t bother with all of that when He rose from the dead. The first ones at the tomb looking for Jesus were Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and Mary Magdalene (see Matthew 28:1).
Go and tell
No, the first ones at the tomb looking for Jesus weren’t prominent leaders or men of influence. There were two women. During that time, women were not permitted to participate in any ministry, which was reserved for men from priestly lineage. And yet, they were the first to seek the risen Lord. The first to encounter the empty tomb. They were the first to whom Jesus entrusted with the message to, “Go and tell my brothers.”
The very first evangelists were women, the ones that society had said didn’t measure up or qualify. Jesus thought differently, and how grateful I am that He did!
God isn’t interested in lineage, pedigree, or any other earthly measure of worth or qualification. What qualified these women to “go and tell” is the same thing that qualifies us today: a heart of love and obedience to God. That’s all. And that’s enough.
Obedience means more than obeying rules
What is the meaning of obedience? Well, according to Merriam-Webster, it means:
Obedience in God’s Kingdom extends beyond what this world defines as obedience. Those who have children know that they can obey on the outside, but in their hearts, they can be defiant. They don’t want to sit when told, study when told, or be quiet when told. They want what they want when they want it.
Early on, a child’s obedience may seem like mere behavior modification. They follow household rules, respond to discipline, and meet expectations, often motivated more by structure and consequences than by understanding or love. This is normal. As parents, we recognize that growth takes time. However, as our relationship with our children evolves, something changes. When they begin to trust our love, their obedience transforms from being rule-based to being relationship-based. They obey not just because we said so, but because they love us.
Going from “have to” to “want to”
Our relationship with God is the same. It often begins with obedience rooted in fear, habit, or a sense of duty. We follow the rules either because we are told to or because we want to avoid consequences. However, as we deepen our relationship with Him, everything changes. When we mature and come to understand His heart, our obedience shifts from being a duty to becoming a joyful response to His love. Obedience is no longer about feeling obligated. Our obedience to God stems from our love for Him. We obey not to earn His favor, but because we know we already have it. His love transforms our “have to” into a “want to.”
You may wonder when you’ll get to the place of wanting to obey God at all times. Well, I can tell you that the feeling of wanting is not what we go by. Feelings come and go, but love is a decision that supersedes feelings. When we are willing to do God’s will, God steps in and helps us walk that out.
He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him...
Philippians 2:13 (NLV)
Don’t depend on pedigrees or feelings to qualify you to serve God. That path leads nowhere. It just circles in the dark. God has always chosen the “no ones” of this world to do great things for Him. He’s not looking for perfection; He’s looking for obedience. All you have to do is let your walls down and let God in. He will equip you, qualify you, and do through you what no one else ever could.
If this subject has resonated with you, I highly recommend the book Accidental Pharisees by Larry Osborne. It challenged me deeply, not just in how I perceive others, but also in how I perceive myself. And if your response is anything like mine, it won’t just challenge you… It will change you.
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Related reading: For more like this, you may enjoy:
Just Say Yes: Part 1 An Introduction
Just Say Yes: Part 2 Surrender
