Colossians 1

Paul, an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother,

Paul was a special messenger of Jesus and only was one because our Father willed him to be one. Paul wasn’t any better then us, he wasn’t smarter then us, he was just a brother who was called to be used by God in a very special way. Look at what Paul thought and wrote about himself.

O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? Romans 7:24

Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. Philippians 3:12

For I am the least [worthy] of the apostles, who am not fit or deserving to be called an apostle, because I once wronged and pursued and molested the church of God [oppressing it with cruelty and violence]. 1 Corinthians 15:9

Paul was well aware of the Truth that the only reason that he was doing anything was because our Father was using him to do it.  Even Jesus, God in the flesh, the Messiah, the Savior, understood the same Truth.

And Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? There is no one [essentially and perfectly morally] good—except God alone. Mark 10:18

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? What I am telling you I do not say on My own authority and of My own accord; but the Father Who lives continually in Me does the (His) works (His own miracles, deeds of power). John 14:10

None of us is good enough, strong enough, smart enough, loyal enough, giving enough, loving enough, faithful enough, or anything enough to do anything worthy for our Kingdom. I mean if Jesus said that He wasn’t good, how could we ever be? But none of that matters. Our Father uses us as He see’s fit. Our shortcomings in no way limit our Father from using us to the fullest of His abilities. 

We have been called and chosen by God before we ever were.

But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased. Galatians 1:15

And the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God’s purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls [them], Romans 9:11