Right now in my personal time with God, I am journeying through the Gospels…and the other morning (while in the book of Mark), several realities overwhelmed me as I read Mark 3:13-19. (I would ask you to read that text before you read the rest of this post, trust me!)
(AND…if you are in the ministry, I think you may find it incredibly challenging and encouraging.)
1. He called me to be in ministry because He wanted me on His team, (Mark 3:13 – “and called to him those he wanted…”) WHOA! I didn’t choose Him…He chose me; that thought completely overwhelms me as there was NOTHING in me that was worthy of His calling on my life. (It wasn’t my greatness…it was and is HIS!!!)
2. The primary thing this text teaches is that He called me and appointed me that I might be with Him. (See Mark 3:14, the FIRST thing Scripture says after He appointed them as Apostles is that He did so “that they might be with Him.”) Vision and power are the direct results of a leader’s personal time with the Lord…and we can never become so busy doing ministry that we fail to spend time with the One who called, gifted, anointed, and empowered us to do so in the first place.
3. In Him, I have direction to do what He wants…and the authority to do it. (Mark 3:14-15) Notice He gave them specific directions as to what to do (the result of time with Him) and with those directions came the authority to do so. God will never give us a vision to do something great without the ability to do exactly what He has asked us to do.
4. Jesus knew every stupid, foolish, selfish, and sinful decision I would ever make…and yet He chose to call me and use me anyway (Mark 3:16-19)!
5. God’s not finished with me yet (and He’s not through with you either!) Mark 3:13-19!!! Jesus ALWAYS has more in store than we could ever imagine!!!
