Are you the last chosen because your story doesn’t match everyone else’s? Have you been moved to the back of the line because people assume you’re unqualified? Is it possible you’ve simply been misclassified? People assigned you to the wrong category based on their preconceived notions, thoughts, and opinions. Unfortunately, they failed to realize that you were classified long before they arrived.
The Story: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, God asked Samuel how long will he grieve over Saul, whom God rejected. In addition, God told him to go to the house of Jesse because God had a new king for Samuel to anoint. Because Samuel was fearful of Saul’s response, God provided Samuel with a plan. When Samuel arrived at Bethlehem, he notified the elders that he had come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel consecrated the people, including Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
With everyone settled, Samuel began to anoint Jesse’s oldest son. The Lord told Samuel that he wasn’t the one. He admonished him not to look at the outward appearance but to focus on the heart. As a result, Samuel moved to each son until he reached the seventh, but the Lord hadn’t chosen any of them. Therefore, Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Jesse advised that his youngest son was with the sheep. As a result, Samuel requested for Jesse to send for him. When David arrived, the Lord proclaimed that he was the one.
The Lesson
How unfortunate it is for people to judge us based on external circumstances. They misclassified us because we didn’t look the part. They didn’t invite us because they relegated us to a lower level or position. Therefore, they placed a period on our lives although we were simply having a comma moment. However, our story isn’t over.
Although people misclassified us, we don’t have to remain in the realm of their limitations. We can arise from where we are and live the life planned for us by God. Although we’re unaware of what lies ahead, the future is bright if we step out of the misclassification. This means laying aside the opinions of others and our own self-doubt to embrace the purpose given to us from our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5).
Since the misclassification of others doesn’t confine us, we can possess all that God has for us. Like David, we come when God calls. We walk past the people who left us behind. Then we trust the purpose that God placed on us. Although we don’t know all the details, we still trust God to walk us through it. Yes, people will try to sabotage us, but we keep walking. God’s plan won’t fail. As a result, we keep our eyes on God and cease being misclassified.
