Channels for God’s Power — 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Did you ever watch someone fail at a job or official position for which you thought they were eminently well qualified? This happens a lot in ministry. Why is that? Perhaps we look at the wrong qualifications. Many pulpit committees plow through stacks of resumes to select a few choice candidates. They rank the candidates according to academic credentials, special honors, size of previous churches pastored, professional appearance of the resume, age, etc. Then they hear the candidates preach their most glowing, compelling, and well-practiced sermons. Some few churches will also take the time to ask the candidate questions about his family, ministry style, and maybe theology. And yet the man who successfully passes this rigorous screening may still fail in the ministry for a simple reason.
You see, often it is the most naturally talented and gifted of Christians that makes the least impact on the world for the Kingdom of Christ. We tend to place our trust in the gifts that we have rather than in the Giver of those gifts. We trust our intelligence, our eloquence, our people-savvy, our past experience, our quick-thinking, our sense of humor, or our academic accomplishments. But we fail to rely upon God as the sole source of our strength for ministry.
Paul had that problem. He admitted that he had lots of reasons to trust in his own flesh. He was born into the tribe of Benjamin – the first Jewish tribe to boast a king. He was a devout Jew and a Pharisee. When it came to keeping the laws of the Old Testament, no one could accuse him (Philippians 3:4-6). He gained power and prestige in his religion more than many in his own nation (Galatians 1:14). He studied under the renowned teacher Gamaliel at the University of Tarsus (Acts 22:3). Then on the road to Damascus he met Jesus Christ (Acts 9). After that encounter he went into Arabia for three years where he continued to receive instruction from the Lord in a miraculous fashion (I Corinthians 15:8; Galatians 1:12,15-18). With the help of Barnabas he gained the acceptance of the other Apostles and of the churches of Judea. He had impressive credentials. Perhaps too impressive … .
God allowed Paul to suffer from a chronic disability – a “thorn in the flesh.” Maybe he had an eye condition. Or perhaps like Jacob he limped after his encounter with God. Perhaps he suffered constant pain only made worse by his numerous beatings and sufferings. But whatever the nature of that “thorn,” Paul learned to praise God for it. It served as a constant reminder of his need for the grace of God. This man so noted for his education and eloquence preached with fear and trembling (I Corinthians 2:3). And God bountifully blessed Paul’s ministry.
What is the secret of an effective pastor? What is the chief qualification for your own service to God? It is simply this: a complete and total dependence upon the supernatural power of God’s Spirit to accomplish His will through His children. Once you have that, THEN God can make the best use of all your gifts, credentials, and accomplishments. But without a total dependence upon Almighty God, you are useless to the Kingdom of God. Will you confess today that without God’s supernatural enabling you can do nothing for His Kingdom? Will you confess today your total dependence upon Him?
Author: Robert W. Rohlin
This page first appeared September 20, 1998 in the Advancer , a Sunday school teacher’s guide published by the Baptist Publishing House . It is gratefully used here with permission from the publisher.