Today's Woman
The Lord calls many of us to do His work and has His own unique way of calling those He has ordained to serve Him. Sometimes we get comfortable and build a nest and God has to force us into our new role. Like Joseph, He occasionally places us in uncomfortable circumstances to prove us and make us grow, often surviving by faith alone.
At other times, He leads us into the next step of our journey as He did king David, who fought a lion, then a bear. Only after he was ready did he battle Goliath. He was stepping up each time by facing what was in front of him and doing the right thing. Each step prepared him for the next one. He endured and became proficient at what the Lord had for him.
As women, we often know that God has called us to serve Him and accepted it. The ministry isn't something that just happens or that we trip into. Sometimes people seem to be standing around waiting for the Lord to drop, knowledge, ability, and skills down upon us so that they will suddenly be able to do God's work. That rarely happens. God uses women in every occupation, but He expects us to be prepared when opportunity knocks.
Paul said "study to show yourself approved..." (II Tim 2:15). If we intend to achieve God's plan for our lives we must first gain the wisdom and knowledge we need for a strong foundation. One of the most important things Jesus did was to train the disciples. He spent three years ministering and training them, teaching them how to minister.
When God puts a calling in us, He is also calling us to learn things that we don't know. The Disciples submitted themselves to the ministry under Jesus for three years. Jesus taught them. They lived their lives with Him and became friends, willing to share His hardships and the burdens. They took on the vision that Jesus had for the lost. They realized the truth of Jesus' calling.
The ministry isn't just the glorious, rewarding, self-fulfilling, exciting adventure that it appears. We must understand the full commitment. Peter was committed to Jesus from the start. He started following Jesus because he thought that He would take the kingdom back for the Jews. He wanted a physical kingdom. Eventually, he realized the vision of the eternal purpose of the ministry. Peter eventually became the leader for the local church. The true purpose of the ministry became his hearts desire. The truth was more important than his desire for the physical kingdom. The eternal kingdom was much greater that the earthly one.
The disciples became Apostles only after Jesus called them out. The word "Apostle" means, "sent out". They did not charge out on their own into a ministry. Jesus sent them out in agreement. In Acts (8:14) Peter and John were sent by the Apostles to Samaria. The importance of this is that one may think that he is ready for the ministry ahead of him; but only one that has been down the road knows what is needed to make the trip and what is required for the successful completion. Most ministries failed or lack in success because lack of training and knowledge.
Article Source: Miron Ministries
About the Author
Dr. Sharon Schuetz is an ordained minister and holds a BA in Religious Education and a PhD in Clinical Counseling Psychology. She and her husband, Michael, have been married for 33 years. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Like most writers, she has loved writing since she was a child.