Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5, ESV

God calls Jeremiah and assures him that his role as a prophet was part of the divine plan from before he was born. Shakespeare was born to write. Bach was born to compose. Yeager was born to fly. Jeremiah was born to prophesy… but that’s not how he felt about it. He answers God:

Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”

Jeremiah 1:6, ESV

His first word in response is an exclamation of pain –a word that even sounds like “Ah!” in Hebrew. Like Moses and Gideon before him, Jeremiah feels unprepared for the serious task to which God is calling him. We know that Jeremiah was from a priestly family and may have been raised to understand just how far from Yahweh the religion of Judah had strayed. I can picture a young Jeremiah wondering why others around him were not tapped for this difficult duty. “Prophet to the Nations” was a great title, but wasn’t it a bit much considering his thin resumé?

God’s next words leave no doubt about the whole question:

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. “

Jeremiah 1:7-8, ESV

Do not say that you’re only a youth. I find this answer from God fascinating because there is nothing overtly false in Jeremiah saying that he is an unprepared young man. God is telling Jeremiah to stop saying something – even if it is true – because it would cloud the grander truth. Since Jeremiah walked forward in the plan of God, he was not only a youth. Since God would be with him through the span of every spoken syllable, Jeremiah was not unprepared. As God sets up His prophet, you begin to feel sorry for those who might stand in his way. What might look like a youth walking along the village streets of Judah is so much more.

Are there things we tell ourselves that may be true, but don’t do us any good to say? Any sentence that begins with “I’ve never” and ends with something good belongs in that category. I’ve never invited a friend over for dinner. I’ve never sent a condolence card to someone grieving. I’ve never… stop. The declaration only fuels excuses about why I haven’t. It might tempt me to see myself as someone who cannot ever do those good things. God only wants us to consider the I’ve-nevers if we’re ready to turn around and act. Just like Jeremiah, He’s with you in your ministry – He’ll move you from “I’ve never” to “Here we go!”