As a minister, if there is anything I know, it is that a calling, title or position does not equate to spiritual maturity. In fact, many times, God picks "raw materials". The onus (responsibility) is now on the called/sent/employed to open up to God's development so that he can be trained to do the job effectively and prove himself worthy of the role or call. Even the 11 Apostles were trained by the Lord Jesus for their future role of building the foundations of His church. God will always work to build and equip his chosen.. but he expects growth. "Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 CJB Growth, however, is a partnership: the father feeds, the child eats. One has to be open to eating, hungry enough to go for it and receive it for any training to be of help. Growth is vital. We will NEVER get to the stage that we stop needing to invest in personal spiritual development. Even as a teacher, continuous dependency on the Holy Spirit and personal nourishment from the word is essential for any fruit in ministry. As the Lord Jesus said: Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4 NIV Jesus is the word of God become flesh. To remain in Christ therefore means remaining in that place of nourishment and intimacy with God's Word. Study and prayer time should primarily be for personal growth and developing our relationship with the Father (God), our brother (Jesus) and our dearest friend (the Holy spirit). Even when preparing for a preach, study first with the mind to learn not to preach. That way, we give out of what we have digested not just borrowed or harvested. What is the point of winning everyone and building others if you are empty? We are not saved by our works... godly or bad... we are saved by our relationship with God through Christ Jesus. So our first calling is never to church, ministry, community or family - our first calling is to CHRIST himself: building THAT relationship. 1 Cor 1:9 Matt 16:26 1 Corinthians 9:27 It is from that relationship with the word of God that maturity comes so that God's man is capable of taking the strong meat of God's word not only milk. However, full maturity comes not only from eating, it also requires exercise i.e. practicing what God has said or revealed in his word no matter how inconvenient. "But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:14 CJB (read from verse 11) For any Jesus follower to mature for leadership, he must be the number one DOER of the Word. So, If you are going to tell others to pray, PRAY. If you will tell them to give, GIVE If you will tell then to study the bible, STUDY If you will tell them to love like Christ, LOVE like CHRIST! Also, if you will tell them to believe in God's grace and forgiveness, BELIEVE in GOD'S GRACE and forgiveness available to you! Preach to yourself, motivate yourself, build yourself and patiently forgive yourself... THEN do the same for others. And as Paul declared to his partners in Ministry: "I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]." Philippians 1:6 AMP
Amen.