How do you learn to depend upon the Lord in all you do, especially in things you already do well?

I asked myself that question as I taught through Romans at His Hill Bible School. I am not a world-class teacher. But I’ve taught through Romans before. I had my notes and my PowerPoints. And while I never feel entirely ready to teach and preach, as far as preparations were concerned, I was in a good position to do a decent job.

However, in my opinion, teaching the Bible is not like teaching other subjects.

If I’m teaching my kids to cook, clean, or catch a ball, I don’t feel stressed about it. They’ll learn how to do those things eventually.

But in ministry, the stakes are higher. I want the Holy Spirit to move and for the students to be as impacted by the Word as I have been while studying it. I hope to be a vessel for the Lord’s use in the students' lives.

There’s always a temptation, and even a natural inclination, to rely on your abilities, strengths, and knowledge. I sometimes want to do ministry through the sheer force of my will. And while that might work for teaching your daughter how to handle a soccer ball, it does not have the same effect as

I was talking about this to Charlie McCall, the ministry's Executive Director. He has ministered at His Hill for thirty-five years, often teaching the same Bible books to year after year of students. At some point, I imagined that the teaching would come naturally, with the same content, points, and even the same jokes. How do freshly rely on the Lord in the face of that repetition?

Charlie said he had to learn to repent of his past experiences.

What does that mean?

It meant that he had to learn to repent from relying on the wealth of experiences accumulated over decades of teaching through the same materials to generations of students. The experiences themselves weren’t wrong, but depending on them instead of depending upon the Lord is the problem. Our abilities are never a substitute for His. And relying on the Lord is the only true way to spiritual success.

So, if you’re about to engage in ministry for the first time or for the hundredth, take a moment to tell the Lord that you repent of your past experiences so you can rely upon His present strength.

Think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths (Prov 3:6 HCSB).

Send your questions or comments to Shawn.