This verse isn’t one most people remember, but it speaks volumes about Jesus. Before He made the crucial decision about whom He would choose as His apostles, He prayed. It shows how completely dependent Jesus was on His heavenly Father. He never made a move without asking which way He should go. And when the decision was important, He didn’t just offer a quick “Our Father”! As in this case, He went to a place with few distractions and spent long hours listening in prayer. It’s not unlike personnel departments and managers who spend hours poring over resumes and letters of recommendation, looking for the “right” person to hire. The needs of a position matched with an applicant’s adequate credentials are needed for the perfect “fit.”
Whatever happened that night when Jesus spent hours “in communion with God” we don’t know for sure, but most of us who are or have been in positions to interview and hire would be amazed at “the Twelve” whom He selected from the disciples to be His most intimate followers and co-laborers. Of the twelve, here is a sampling of their “job performance”: one denied knowing Him when questioned about their relationship (Matt. 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:54-62; and John 18:15-27), two others were hot-tempered and rash (“Call down fire from heaven to destroy them!”[Luke 9:54]), one wouldn’t believe without seeing (John 20:25), and one, finally, betrayed Him, handing Him over to those who would put Him to death (Luke 22:48). So much for careful screening!
But then again, with the exception of the last, all underwent remarkable transformations—conversions—leading them to become fearless proclaimers of the Name, even to their own deaths. I guess it’s true what I read somewhere: if it is true that God often calls those who are qualified, it is also true that He “qualifies” those whom He calls.
There is encouragement here for all those who “have been called.” God often provides “on the job training,” drawing out of us what we did not know was there and transforming us into His instruments in ways we could not possibly imagine. When faced with their inadequacies, all—with one exception—acknowledged their weakness and professed their faith anew. Therein is found the seed of conversion and deeper witness. Peter’s “Lord, you know that I love you” (John 21:15) and Thomas’ “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28) show us how to respond in the face of our own inadequacies and failures.
If we’re serious about doing what Jesus did, we have to pray too. Of course, if you’re new to prayer, you won’t begin by staying up all night on a mountaintop! Your starting point can be just knowing that God wants to speak to you personally and recognizing that you want to hear His voice. It all begins when you trust in God’s promise: “When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
The fact is, there is no magical secret to prayer. We simply have to turn to Him, and God will answer us. So in part, it really is up to us. We have to take the time and effort to listen. We have to decide whether we will follow God’s plans or our own—and we have to discern how we’re going to implement them. We may even need the help of a trusted friend to help us along the way. But through it all, God will be right beside us!
If you haven’t done so before, why not start today to ask God about the decisions you are facing? You can begin by making small steps at listening and trying to put into practice what you hear. Tell the Lord about your schedule and ask Him to direct your steps. Read the Scriptures and see if the Spirit gives you some sense about what you should do in a situation. Like anything else, prayer takes practice. And the better you get at hearing the Lord, the more confident you will become—and the more effective you will be at building His kingdom!
“Lord, I ask for Your guidance today. Help me to hear Your voice and to know Your will, even in the small decisions I’m facing. Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening!”
May we, in discovering our shortcomings, allow the Lord to “qualify” us for the task to which He has called us.
No comments:
Post a Comment