Do I have what it takes?

This is why I don’t have “it”… This is why I have spent 10 years since graduating HS in two desk jobs that leave me longing for more… This is why I haven’t figured out which one of my “trades” God intends to use for ministry (Jack of All Trades – Master of None fits me to a T, which is both a blessing and a curse)…

The systematic preaching of the Word is impossible without the systematic study of it. It will not be enough to skim through a few verses in daily Bible reading, nor to study a passage only when we have to preach from it. No. We must daily soak ourselves in the Scriptures. We must not just study as through a microscope the linguistic minutiae of a few verses, but take our telescope and scan the wide expanses of God’s Word, assimilating its grand theme of divine sovreignty in the redemption of mankind.

(i think i’m supposed to do this – ht: Colin who was quoting John Stott, but i’m not sure. When i used to blog back in the day we just said “Thank You;” now there is this HT thing)

This specifically deals with Preaching and Pastoring -which i have done at a Youth Ministry level and have had passing aspirations to do at a different level- yet i think it can and should be directly applied to any other aspirations we have concerning ministry. Can I effectively lead worship without daily soaking myself in scripture? Can i pull the heart-strings of the seeking soul without at least a glimpse of the wide expanse of God’s Word and world?

Unfortunately I think many worship leaders and Youth Directors / Pastors get away with doing enough to just get by. I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve seen and heard of Sr. Pastors who do the same. And, yet, thats where God’s beautiful Grace abounds. Despite some of His hands and feet (us) not fully committing to immersing ourselves in His presence, He still operates through us to draw those who He has chosen to draw.

Perfection is obviously not the issue; it’s only obtainable on a small scale… one “perfect” day here, a sinless day or two in a row there… we’re human. But for me, I do not want that to be an excuse… and I do not want His unfathomable and unwavering grace to be a crutch in my life and ministry.

I often feel like a fraud, because I believe the generic Christian (which I certainly am) falls well short of the standards we should hold ourselves to biblically. Not so much in the manner or frequency that we sin; rather in the manner and frequency that we simply choose just to get by… forsaking our spiritual disciplines when convenience is absent.

Chewing on this…