Misconceptions - Matters of Preparation:i am in total agreement with you on being prepared. “ study to show thyself approved. Thank you for your time and discussion. You took great time and care to answer. Thank you sincerely. My concern was GODs glory. I want to make sure I’m speaking for his glory and not just because i want to. I thank everyone who answered my request. I am confident that this is meant to be. 🙏
MrH59,
There are many misconceptions about how god gives us words, and about how God enables us to do things.
I'm going to take your statement, "I trust God would take care of all that", and use that as a basis for some discussion.
I am NOT assuming that YOU have any misunderstandings.
I'm just using your words as a starting place for a discussion... this is a complicated issue, and many Christians misunderstand these things.
Regardless of how YOU intended your statement, this overall issue is still a confusing issue to many people.... so it's good for us to discuss it.
God Bless
God Enabling Us For Ministry - Some common but well intended misconceptions:
"I’m no public speaker and I trust God would take care of all that."
1. Preparation for ministry:
I'm not sure how the OP intended this (and we're not discussing his intent) but we do often find good and devout Christians with a misconception that God will ENABLE THEM FOR MINISTRY to SUCH A DEGREE, that NO PREPARATION IS NEEDED.
This is often based on a misunderstanding of Luke 12:11-12.
It is biblical to prepare yourself.
IF: we feel called to some particular ministry
THEN: that call contains an INHERENT RESPONSIBILITY to prepare ourselves... as best we can.
Does God just magically give a minister everything to say with no preparation or study?
Let's go to the Bible, and see what it says.
2. Misconceptions - God gives us words.... but for what exactly?
Luk 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
Luk 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
What's actually going on in this verse?
This is outlining a specific scenario in which the disciple is being PERSECUTED, and having to face down persecutors who have actual power to jail them or kill them.
This is discussing what to do in a time of great persecution, anxiety, and fear.
Jesus is essentially saying, WHEN YOU ARE PERSECUTED, AND IN TERRIBLE FEAR, I WILL GIVE YOU SPECIAL GRACE FOR THAT.
(Historically, martyrs always manage to say something both brave, and brilliant, right before they die. That is special grace.)
This verse DOES NOT MEAN, "Just be lazy, never study, never practice speaking, never try to get better at anything, and I'll magically turn you into a brilliant orator and a bible scholar"... that is NOT what it means.
How can we be certain?
Because there are other passages which address these issues, and balance them out.
3. We are commanded to study, and thus prepare:
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
God commands us to actually study.
(Other translations use different wording, but the concept of study and hard work remains.)
If God will just give us whatever words we need, on every occasion... then why study?
It's because God EXPECTS US to to PREPARE OURSELVES for the WORK OF MINISTRY.
4. God gives us teachers, so we can learn and prepare:
1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
God gives us teachers.
Why?
Because we need to learn; we need to study and prepare.
A broad view of teaching:
Let's remember that the "teaching" here isn't only relegated to doctrinal or academic study, it encompasses all the things a disciple must understand to be an effective witness. The bible is clear that ministers must first have a walk and character that pleases God, and then he needs to add to that a thorough study and understanding of God's word. So the "teachers" here, as shepherds of the flock, are expected to be teaching a great many things. And all of us, as perpetual students, must be learning a great many things.
If we didn't need teaching, training, and preparation... then God wouldn't provide the body with teachers.
4. Proverbs - full of teaching on preparation:
The book of proverbs is full of practical wisdom about things like preparation and order.
The need for preparation is a natural principle God has built into the world.
To do a thing well, or correctly, it is usually best to prepare.
Recall from proverbs the story of the ant (Proverbs 6:6-8) who prepares for the winter by gathering in summer.
Prudent Preparation is a principle we find throughout all of scripture.
6. 12 Disciples - They were prepared.
Let's consider that the original disciples, the 12, went through the most EXTREME PREPARATION by spending several years under the direct teaching of Jesus himself.
They had years of preparation for ministry.
The 12 needed SO MUCH preparation for their important ministries, that Jesus attended to their education PERSONALLY.
7. Like a Boy Scout - Be Prepared
2Ti 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
We are to BE READY, that is to BE PREPARED, at all times, to minister to others.
How can we be prepared, without preparation?
How can we be ready, without readying ourselves?
A minister is to prepare himself, and thus always be ready to minister to others.
Conclusion - A Good Rule of Thumb
Ministry - Rule of Thumb for Preparation:
If you feel called to some specific ministry or vocation, then show your OBEDIENCE to that call by FAITHFULLY PREPARING YOURSELF... AS BEST YOU CAN.
*Then, if you have done your best to prepare yourself, and you're suddenly required to do something for which you do NOT feel prepared, then trust God to enable you in a supernatural way - but most likely your earlier preparation actually prepared you for more than you realize... that's how God works in us.
God Bless.
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