There has long been this myth in churches and ministries that only mature believers can minister. Many Christians believe that we must reach a certain level of spiritual maturity, go through ten years of theology school, tithe a certain amount or believe in a certain doctrine to be considered ready to share the gospel, preach, and even counsel, lead worship, teach, and coach other disciples.
Looking at the time Jesus was about to go up to heaven, we get a real and authentic glimpse of the condition of the eleven men who would now take over the work Jesus had started. In Acts 1:6-7 says, "So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.'"
What's happening here? It's clear that even after three years of equipping, empowering and training, the disciples were still missing the point. They were still not as mature as Jesus wanted them to be. But it's amazing what Jesus does next - He charges the disciples and then leaves.
Imagine what the church would have looked like if Jesus had to wait for the disciples to become fully mature before He charged them. I don't think the church would ever have happened. We don't wait to be mature before we minister, but instead we mature as we minister. God doesn't call the equipped, but He equips the called. Is it going to be easier if we do ministry this way? Not necessarily. But as we minister, we are in the process of maturing.
Ministering will always be hard. But James 1:2-4 says to us, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
The harshness and difficulties of obeying and charging out to do the works of ministry will actually be the very motivation for us to grow and mature in the Lord. As we face trials and challenges, James says that these difficulties become the very thing that produces steadfastness which then leads us to be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing - in other words, mature.
If God had to wait for his workers to mature before He sent them then he would have never sent Noah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Jeremiah, Peter or even Paul. But because God doesn't wait for us to be perfect, but instead empowers us by being perfect for us in our weakness, then we can go in confidence knowing that it is God who sends us even if we are not fully mature.
