Have you ever felt like you were called to ministry, but did not feel equipped to do it?
Let us look at some scripture concerning this.
Matthew 10: 1-4
At a glance, conventional wisdom tells you that Jesus’s 12 Disciples were good examples of truly “unqualified” folks. However, in taking a deeper dive into the attributes of these men, it becomes clear that Jesus was quite strategic in His choices. Let’s focus on a just a few of these men to clarify this point.
When Jesus called Peter, he said to him “from this day forward you will be called Fishers of Men.” The Apostle Peter was not a Theologian nor did he have any formal college education, yet in spite of this, God used him as an Apostle. Why did Christ choose Peter, an uncultured man prone to failure, as a foundation on which to build his church? Peter was chosen because of his heart for God.
John (brother of James) was also chosen and was known as the “Beloved Disciple”. He was a man with an explosive temper and an intolerant heart. But he was also a man of action and he was very ambitious. Traits much different than Peter but very much in need.
Lastly, Matthew was a tax collector which was known to be a hated profession, particularly among Jews. The root of this hatred was because of their reputation of being unjust. Matthew was unlike the other Apostles, who were mostly fishermen because he could use a pen. As such, Matthew became the first man to present the world with the teaching of Jesus. It is impossible to estimate the debt that Christianity owes to this despised tax gatherer.
As we can see from looking at these three folks, they were all at once flawed, gifted and loved by our Savior to be the hands and feet during His ministry in unique and different ways.
As believers in Christ, are we not all commissioned to be “fishers of men” and to spread the good news of the gospel despite our flaws or personal incompetence?
As a young girl, I recall being quite shy (those who know me now can’t believe it!). I declined church singing offers, scripture reading or doing anything in front of the congregation. When I moved to the U.S. in 2002, I was living in NYC and wanted to learn about the American culture. I soon learned that the best way to accomplish this is to start mingling with the locals. The more I learned about the culture and the people, the more I wanted them to know about the Jesus that I fell in love with as a young girl. God imparted a boldness in me to start sharing His word. Since then, I have had the opportunity to lead folks to Jesus, preach in front of the church and lead a variety of bible studies and church events.
Time has a way of causing people to be reflective about their own lives. When I reflect on mine, I can see that, just like the 12 disciples, God is using “unqualified” folks like me and Qualifying them for His ministry. This gives me great encouragement and it should encourage you as well! Stop looking at the skills and abilities of someone else and start focusing on the unique-as-a-fingerprint God given gifts He’s designed in you. You are uniquely made to make a difference in God’s Kingdom.
Trish Borio 