How many times have you looked at a leader and wondered, How did you ever get this position?

We’ve all been there—watching someone in authority and feeling confused, frustrated, or even shocked by their decisions. But before we judge too quickly, Scripture reminds us that God has a long history of placing unlikely, imperfect, and reluctant people in roles of leadership.

God sees what we cannot see, and throughout the Bible, He elevates people who would have never made our list of top leaders.

1. Moses — The Reluctant Leader (Exodus 3–4)

When God called Moses, he didn’t step forward with confidence—he stepped back with excuses.

• “Who am I that I should go?”

• “I am slow of speech.”

Moses doubted himself so much he begged God to send someone else. Yet God chose him anyway, not because Moses was eloquent or charismatic, but because God knew what Moses could become.

Lesson: God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

2. Gideon — The Insecure Leader (Judges 6)

Gideon was hiding when God called him a “mighty warrior.”
He didn’t see himself as strong or capable:

• He was from the weakest tribe.

• He was the least in his family.

• He constantly asked God for signs.

But God wasn’t looking for confidence—He was looking for obedience.

Lesson: God sees potential in us long before we do.

3. David — The Overlooked Leader (1 Samuel 16)

When Samuel came to anoint Israel’s next king, David wasn’t even invited to the lineup.
His own family saw him as insignificant.
Yet God said,
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

David wasn’t chosen because of his résumé but because of the purity of his heart and his willingness to follow God.

Lesson: God chooses leaders based on heart, not appearance or status.

4. Esther — The Unexpected Leader (Esther 4)

Esther never sought leadership.
She didn’t have a strategy, a title, or experience.
But God placed her in a position of influence “for such a time as this.”

She became a leader when she was willing to risk comfort for calling.

Lesson: Sometimes leadership is simply saying “yes” when God opens a door.

5. The Disciples — The Ordinary Leaders (Acts 4:13)

Jesus didn’t choose scholars, politicians, or religious elites.
He chose fishermen, tax collectors, and everyday people.

Scripture says the crowds were astonished because these were “unschooled, ordinary men.”
But they had been with Jesus, and that was enough.

Lesson: Being with God prepares you more than any earthly credential.

What This Means for Us Today

When we look at leaders today and think, “How did you get this position?” we should remember:

God often works through people who appear unqualified.
He uses weakness to show His strength.
He uses imperfection to display His grace.
He uses the unexpected to accomplish the extraordinary.

And sometimes, the leader we’re questioning is not there by accident—but by assignment.

A Personal Challenge

Instead of only evaluating leaders by our standards, what if we asked:

• What might God be doing through them?

• What qualities does God see that I don’t?

• What can I learn from their strengths and failures?

And even more personally:

Could God be calling me to lead—even if I don’t feel ready?

Because the truth is this:
God still chooses unlikely leaders today. And one of them might be you.