PREPARATION AND PARTICIPATION

I am currently in my 20th consecutive year of formal education. Ever since I started preschool, I have been in school non-stop with the exception of summer breaks. I love learning. One of my life values is to be a “forever-learner.” But what if I only ever learned. What if all I did was sit in class and learn about math, science, English, the Bible, etc. and never did anything with it? That sounds like a giant waste of time and money to me.

But the funny thing is, I catch myself doing this quite frequently in my faith walk. I go to church every week and learn. I read my Bible and learn. I listen to the testimonies of others and learn. I have strategic conversations about discipleship and helping those in need and learn from them. But often times I am slow to act with those things. We’re all guilty of this.

My entire life up until I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree felt like preparation for the future. It felt like I couldn’t do what I was called to do until I was fully prepared. But that is a bunch of bologna! So often, we will attend church, get a little inspiration and education on how to change our world, and file it away in our brains under “to use when I am fully prepared.” All the while there are tens of thousands of people who are dying each day without knowing Jesus.

We need to understand that we must participate during the preparation!

When we apply what we are being taught right away, we’re far more effective. We understand the purpose behind it better. We remember the hints and tips better. And we get better at reaching the lost.

The next time you sit in church and hear a message, or have a conversation with someone, or have an “aha” moment while reading scripture… practice it! You don’t have to wait to be perfect. In fact, you can’t wait… The Gospel message is needed now!