Johnny looks up at the coach and says, “ Coach, coach, put me in. Come on I am ready.” The coach turns to Johnny and says, “ I am sorry, but you have not made it to all the practices this week, and you don't know the plays. I can't put you in there. You will either get hurt, or confuse the other players. I am sorry, but until you discipline yourself to make it to practices and study the plays, you can't play.”
Haven't we all been in that place before? Now, you might not have played sports, but isn't there something you would love to do but you can't? It hurts when we can't do what we want. No one likes to be told no. But sometimes we truly aren't ready for what it is we want to do.
Our walk with God can be like this. We may feel like we can take on any ministry. Which you can if you have done what it necessary to prepare. Going into a ministry takes preparation. You need to first of all know the word of God. Not everyone out there is willing to listen. There will be people who want to fight with you on what the word says. You have got to know your word. You have to study them, and be familiar with them. I understand that most of us will never be able to memorize large portions of the Bible. You do however, need to be familiar with what the Bible says.
How else do you prepare? You pray. Not just a five minute prayer. You pray continually. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Don't go onto the field without praying. There are some big players out there ready to tackle you. It won't be easy, no matter how much practice you have. You have to have the heart to stay in the game and be ready to fight. Prayer will help you. It will strengthen you and keep you focused.
You need to find a local church and be a part of it. This will be your biggest support. Everyone needs their supporting fans. They will be to encourage you, pray with you, and give you advice when you need it. You can't do this alone.
To be ready for ministry you have to be willing to be a team player. You have to realize that there are others working alongside you. Some of them will be strong where you are weak. Some will have more knowledge than you. You have to know your team players and be willing to work with them. More importantly you have to recognize you are all on the same team, and the goal is the same. Don't forget who the Coach is. Sometimes we tend to get out there and things are going well, and we start to let pride creep in. We can forget who the Coach is if we are not careful. God is the one calling the plays, not us. He know the game plan. He knows how we can have the victory. You have to be ready and willing to listen to the Coach. Don't go into anything blindly. Take the time to train your ears to hear the voice of God. He wants to teach you. He wants you to be able to hear Him. This is what He created you for. When you truly seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him. Then you will be ready to play in the big game.
Don't you long to hear Him say, “You are ready. Go in there and do what I taught you. Remember the plans. Stay on the right path, and victory will be ours!”
May God show you your position, and may you listen for His voice so you can be an active part of the game.
