You go to school so that you will be able to get the job you want. Schooling prepares you for the occupation you seek. In your spiritual life you want to study so that you can first and foremost know your Lord God better. Also, as you study God’s Word, you learn what ministry God has in store for you to do on your earthly pilgrimage. Every Christian has a spiritual gift for them to use.
Many years ago, C. S. Lewis was a Bible teacher that God greatly used for His Kingdom work. He talked to a group of Christians, instructing them about the necessity to be prepared in their ministry, whether teaching the Bible, or being used as a servant. His advice was, “If you give me ten minutes to chop down a tree, I’ll spend my first two minutes sharpening my axe.” No matter what your ministry may be, being prepared to use your spiritual gift takes some amount of preparation.
If you are a Sunday School teacher, a Small Group teacher, or any teacher you need to be prepared. Likewise, if you see yourself as someone who attends church regularly, then you need to make sure no Saturday night or early Sunday interruptions keep you from being faithful to attend church.
Peter addressed this philosophy in 1 Peter 1:13, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action.” You must be prepared. Peter talked about being “prepared” for the temptations that life brings. In all situations in the Christian life, a sense of preparedness is in order.
So whatever area of the Christian life you may choose, there is a need for getting ready and being prepared. Take a few minutes and think how you can be better prepared for your ministry. As mentioned earlier, your ministry can range from being a teacher of the Word to being a faithful listener of the Word. But now is the time to get ready and to be prepared.
