I appreciate the adage, “God is less interested in your ability than in your availability.” After church one Sunday as I was leaving the pastor grabbed me, spun me around and introduced me to a guy I had never seen before. “Andre has just trusted Christ. I want you to help him grow”, said the pastor. On the outside I was all smiles & warmth. On the inside I was panicked. Me? I had never discipled anyone before. I didn’t know where to start. What if I make a mistake? Will I ruin this guy’s life?
Andre and I arranged a meeting time; I hoped he wouldn’t show up. He did. We studied John 1, I gave him an assignment for our next meeting and hoped he would lose interest. He didn’t. In fact he did a great job in preparing his homework. Week after week we met. Each time he was well prepared, and slowly, slowly I gained confidence God could actually use me to nurture the spiritual life of someone else. What started out as a burden ended in joy.
Andre went on to seminary and has been a pastor for decades. And that awkward start in disciplemaking opened my eyes to my lifelong calling: “Find a few faithful people and pour yourself into them” 2 Tim 2:2
God had used my availability in spite of my ability. Will you allow God to use you?