God tells Jeremiah: before you were formed in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet. Jeremiah is being told that his very existence is not accidental. He was chosen, set apart, appointed for a purpose.
Jeremiah's response is to protest: 'I don't know how to speak. I'm too young.' But God overrules him: you will say what I tell you to say, and I will be with you. The calling comes before the capability.
I was afraid of my calling for a long time because I didn't feel capable. I still don't, really. But Jeremiah's experience suggests that capability isn't the prerequisite for calling. You're called, and then you learn to do what you're called to do. That's been liberating.
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