By Josh Kerby
How many times have you wanted to get involved in ministry, but thought you weren’t ready. Maybe you thought you didn’t have enough knowledge, you needed more training, or you simply weren’t qualified. Who is the one who determines whether or not we are qualified or have enough training? Who says we have to go to Bible College before we can tell people about Christ? There are so many people that believe they have to go through a certain amount of training before they can step into ministry or be of any use in that field. Ministry isn’t about having an in-depth knowledge of the Bible, but rather loving people and directing their eyes to Jesus.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus wants all of us to fulfill the Great Commission, not just the ones who go to school for it. When Jesus called His disciples, He called the ones who seemed least qualified to do the job. He called fishermen, tradesmen, a treasurer, and a tax collector. He didn’t call people who had formal training in theology. Jesus called the ones who were most willing to follow Him and learn from Him through the ministry work. It’s not difficult work; it’s simply loving people.
As we continue to look at whom God uses to advance His kingdom, we find Paul. Now Paul, before He was working for God, was working for Satan. He was doing everything he could to prevent the spreading of the Gospel. God called him and challenged him on what he believed. Without any training, Paul went from persecuting Christians to loving them. He dove right into ministry knowing that it only took love and trust in God. We also can’t reject others from ministry because of their background. Paul was one of the main components in the initial spreading of the Gospel. God qualified Paul to be in ministry, not people.
Now, I am not saying that Bible College or any formal training is a bad, I am simply saying it doesn’t make you qualified to do work for God. God is the one who qualifies you to do His work, and He has already qualified everyone. God will often call people to get some formal training so they can have a deeper understanding of the gospel and know how to communicate it effectively to people, but it is not a means God uses to qualify people. My point is, God calls all of us to spread the great news. He has already qualified you to be a minister. He has given you the capacity to love people and share the good news with everyone. So I encourage you to get involved. Get involved in the ministry of God. Maybe that’s leading a small group or sharing with the cashier at the local grocery store. Ministry can happen anywhere at anytime. You just have to be willing to do it. It’s as simple as loving people, sharing the good news, and trusting God.
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