Sorry, God, you're looking for the wrong guy...

You ever try to explain to God why He can't use you?

"God, I'm not that smart, I don't know my Bible as well as I should, and besides you know that I don't have the type of personality that can initiate conversations with complete strangers. I don't have a good voice. I could never sing in front of people. What? God, my schedule is so full. You know I don't have time to help out that blind lady at church. Why don't you look for somebody else? I'll take care of showing up for church and singing along with the hymns. I might even come to Sunday School this week. God, is it a deal?"

To hear some people's excuses, you would think that God is only looking for some extraordinary, intellectually advanced, ultra-talented individual to get the job done. I found an interesting story about Google (www.google.com) that illustrates what people think God is looking for.

The success of Google Inc. is such that it is now part of the American cultural vocabulary and consciousness. The Google search engine has tamed the vast resources of the Internet allowing users to access pertinent information with lightning speed.

That success, and the company's generosity to its staff (read, stock options), draws hordes of eager prospective employees. Although Google has grown from 700 employees in 2002, to 2,700 in 2004, the company remains highly selective. One way Google weeds out the best from the rest is by publishing a 21-question aptitude test in a number of magazines. The questions alone are enough to confuse those who are not technologically and intellectually elite. For example:
"How many different ways can you color an icosahedron with one of three colors on each face?" and "On an infinite, two-dimensional rectangular lattice of 1-ohm resistors, what is the resistance between two nodes that are a knight's move away?"

The test also includes more subjective, tongue-in-cheek requests like "Write a haiku describing possible methods for predicting search traffic seasonality" and "What is the most beautiful math equation ever derived?"

Another method used by Google and other high-tech companies like Yahoo and Microsoft, is to hold competitions for computer programmers, hoping to identify the most talented computer engineers. The test consists of complex coding problems. Cash prizes are awarded to the top contestants, and new job offers quickly follow.

In the summer of 2004, Google tried a different approach, placing billboard ads that simply read:
"{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com."

Anyone able to solve that puzzle was taken to another website and confronted with another thorny math problem. Those smart enough to decipher that were taken to an internal Google page that praised "your big, magnificent brain" and invited you to apply for a job.

While I'm impressed with Google's recruiting approach, I'm glad that's not God's method. I know I'm going to drop a bombshell on you here, but God's acceptance is not predicated upon great intellect, savvy, or skill.

The only question that matters is: What have you done with Jesus? See if you can answer that question today.

source: Michael Liedtke, Google Working to Recruit Brainy Elite (10-26-04)