Day 44: Serving God When You Feel Ill Prepared (Acts 18:24-28)
Today’s Passage: Acts 18:24-28
Sometimes we feel like we are not ready. We want more knowledge and more training.
A frequent phrase I hear from people is “They never taught me that in college.” Or, I hear pastors say, “They don’t teach you that in seminary.”
I have a different perspective.
When we hired people to work in the nuclear power business, we knew we were hiring people who: one- had the desire to work in our industry, two- had demonstrated the aptitude for our industry and knew the effort they would have to spend in the job, then three-now qualified them to come aboard and learn how to function in our little world.
In other words, we never expected them to come “fully ready”. We were looking for people who wanted to be on the team and had demonstrated they were ready to work and keep learning. We knew they would be serving/working for us as people who were a “work in progress”.
In church I often come across people who, for a variety of reasons, want to wait with regards to serving God until they feel “fully prepared”.
Training and knowledge are good, of course. But, consider today’s snippet.
Apollos is out running around talking about Jesus. He is in Corinth. Just to put a point on this situation let’s remind ourselves how much time Paul spent in Corinth. It is where he got fed up! It is where he almost got locked up!
So here is unprepared Apollos, in this hostile environment, witnessing for Jesus!!
You’ve got to love it. When Aquilla and Priscilla hear him, they don’t admonish him. Rather, they teach him more—and the result? He grows and is further ready to serve the Lord Jesus.
He doesn’t implode. He doesn’t shrivel up in a corner. He learns and moves forward. In fact, Paul will later write positively of Apollos efforts noting that regardless of whether it is Paul, or Apollo’s, or anyone’s work…it is ultimately God who brings our labors to fruition.