It's horrible feeling unprepared when you're about to take on a gruelling task or embark on a new and demanding journey - spiritual or otherwise.
Doubts start to creep in when we're in such a state. We question ourselves: How am I going to pull this off? There's no way that I'll be able to do this? and God: Are you really sure you meant to choose me?
Inexperience doesn't automatically mean that we're unprepared. God gives us the tools and skills necessary to deal with situations we face, even if we've never previously confronted a similar challenge. He prepares us to do His work, to weather the troublesome periods of our lives and to take on new roles and responsibilities.
God doesn't make mistakes but we do. Especially when we fail to realise that not only has He accurately chosen us to play a part in His plan, but that He's been skilling us up to do so successfully all along.
We're not always aware of when He's doing something with the purpose of preparing us for what's to come so we can become frustrated, confused and even disheartened at the time.
Identifying some of the ways that He prepare us can help us to be more alert to and appreciative about instances when He's at work in our lives.
He makes us wait
Great biblical figures went through periods of waiting. Moses is among them and even Jesus took time to mature and grow before he made his greatest impact on the world.
Whether it's something as simple as waiting for a waiter to take our order or as significant as waiting for children, we're all put through experiences which test our patience. In both of these everyday cases, the period before we get what we want enables us to prepare for what is to come. Likewise, when God makes us wait He is preparing us for our future. It might be that the time encourages us to calm our desires and become more rational in our approach or it might be so that we can gain knowledge about things which will give us a better understanding of how to respond to our calling.
He gives us great gifts
You might be good at something which you can't see much use for in your current circumstances but one day that talent may be at the centre of your service to God. It could be something as seemingly ordinary as being able to negotiate well or something as essential as having a strong faith in the Lord.
There might not be a great need for you to mediate between groups where you are now or you might have little trouble keeping your faith because life is going swimmingly, but one day these attributes or whichever ones you're nurturing may be of monumental use.
He sends us signs
It's not a coincidence that before you had to deal with an unexpected personal tragedy a particular Psalm was on loop in your mind or that a sermon about healing stays with you for months before you or someone you know falls seriously ill.
The topic of your Bible study group, a series of conversations with a friend, a sermon at your church or a certain Bible passage that you keep returning to might not seem of to have any particular relevance to anything you're going through right now, but these are all ways in which God can communicate messages to us which prepare us to deal with life's twists and turns.
