The Bible Speaks to You February 7, 1970 Issue

[The above is an abbreviated, postproduction text of the program released for broadcast the week of January 30—February 5 in the radio series, "The Bible Speaks to You." Heard internationally over more than 1,000 stations, the weekly programs are prepared and produced by the Christian Science Committee on Publication, 107 Falmouth Street, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. 02115.]

RADIO PROGRAM NO. 409 - What Are Our Real Qualifications?

with contributions from Harvey Wood, Harlan Witham

[The participants are Harvey Wood and Harlan Witham.]

Witham: Most people want to make a useful contribution to the world around them in some distinctive way. But often they doubt that they have anything special to offer. It's a rare person who doesn't have some qualms about his qualifications to make a meaningful contribution. As a personnel executive, I find that a person presents his qualifications on a resume or an application. But then you start digging further to determine his deeper qualifications—his judgment, wisdom, integrity, and so forth.
Wood: Let's talk about these qualifications—the wisdom, the good judgment, the inspiration and enthusiasm that are necessary to make a genuine contribution to those around us. There are many inspired insights about this in the Bible. For example, in Ecclesiastes we read (2:26), "God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy." It was on this basis, this awareness of the divine source of man's real qualifications, that Christ Jesus said (John 14:10), "The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

So all the inspiration, unselfishness, self-discipline, good judgment, and other qualifications that are needed to make a distinctive contribution on the job or off are universally available because they have their source not in a limited mortal personality but in God, divine Love, the one Mind. Now, as we understand our relationship to this divine source, we are freed from the fear or the mental laziness or the self-depreciation that would keep us from making that distinctive contribution which we all want to make.
Witham: I'm wondering about the person who says he is limited in his qualifications but who doesn't know what to do about it, wearing his lack of qualifications like a badge.
Wood: I think the encouraging thing is that it is possible to go from this fearful, unqualified sense of oneself to discover qualifications that one never knew he had. There is great encouragement in the life of Moses. He wanted to make a contribution, to help his people, who were in slavery. And in his first attempt, you may recall, he killed a man. In so doing he had to flee for his life, and nothing worthwhile was accomplished.