By Andrew Weaver

This is the last of a 3-part article to encourage young people (and all believers) as they prepare for a life of success when it comes to money (part 1), marriage (part 2), and ministry.

A Definition

As I share a few thoughts on preparing for success in ministry, you know that I’m not talking about huge crusades, huge offerings, and very popular ministry. God does use some people in a very physical and public way—that’s wonderful. Other people are called to a ministry that is invisible. I would define success in ministry simply as: offering yourself as a living sacrifice, being willing to pay any price for God’s glory and for the sake of His kingdom, and at the same time saying from an honest heart, “I’m an unworthy servant; I have done what is my duty to do.”

This definition of successful ministry would thus include such ministries as: being a godly parent and raising godly children, being an encourager to other brothers and sisters, being an intercessor, or (in a more public light) being an evangelist, pastor, or teacher. We just offer ourselves to God for any price as a living sacrifice. But the attitude of our heart is: “I am an unworthy servant. I am only doing what is my duty to do; this is nothing special.”

God’s Prep School

It is hard for us to understand that God prepares us for ministry in the most basic things of life. Did you know that God actually prepares us for ministry by seeing how good a job we do mowing the lawn, washing the dishes, doing laundry, building furniture, laying bricks, giving our boss an honest day’s work, or whatever it is? God is actually testing us for ministry in those things. He watches our faithfulness in the little details; then, when he sees we can be trusted, He has more for us.

The Bible says very specifically that if we are not faithful in that which is least (unrighteous mammon), God cannot trust the true riches to us. (See Luke 16:11, in the context of the parable of the unjust steward.) Only when we have proven that we can be trusted with the unrighteous mammon that has been put into our hands, will God trust us with the true riches. If you can’t rejoice and be faithful in the drudgery of your life as a young person today, don’t imagine that you’re going to be some powerful missionary for God tomorrow.

Let me give you a daydream: You are picturing God calling you into a public ministry in some foreign country. Heathen are turning to the Lord by the hundreds and maybe thousands, and God is working miracles through your ministry. Finally, of course, something this big comes to the attention of the enemies of the cross, and you are arrested and suffer for your faith. You are led out to be executed publicly, and you go out serenely, giving a last message to the crowd of people watching….

Then your little brother interrupts your daydream: “I can’t find my shoes.”

You tell him: “Why don’t you ever put your shoes where they belong? I’m busy thinking!”

If you respond thus in the flesh at that moment, what reason would you have for thinking that somehow in the future you will be so controlled and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that God would entrust you with a martyr’s death? A martyr’s death is something very powerful; it can bring tremendous honor and glory to God. But God would not entrust something so powerful into the hands of a person who is used to responding in the flesh, who doesn’t like to have the flesh disturbed.

Until we have learned to put our flesh to death, to say no to it, to respond in the Spirit, to rejoice in (not only tolerate) the drudgery of life as it is today—we can’t expect to be used in either ministry or martyrdom tomorrow. God is looking at how we handle the little details of life day in and day out. While He’s watching, He’s evaluating: “Can I trust him with something more? Can I trust him with true riches?”

Growing in Prayer and the Word

No matter what your calling or your ministry is going to be, you are going to need to know how to pray. Prayer is more than simply the discipline of a specific time set aside for prayer each day. You need to learn to enjoy prayer, communing with God throughout the day, telling Him what is on your heart, giving Him the freedom to speak to you and to give you guidance and correction. No matter how young you are or what your ministry is going to be, you can begin preparing for your future ministry by learning to pray.

You are also going to need to know the Word of God. While you are young, develop a habit of not only reading, but also studying the Word of God. I would suggest that some of you young people study Greek or Hebrew, so that you can learn to read the Bible in its original language. That can be a tremendous blessing, and also a very good exercise to keep your mind from getting lazy. So many people finish their schooling, begin a job, and let their mind go into hibernation. Don’t waste the best possession God has given you in your body. Keep the mind active and sharp. Memorize Scripture; study the Bible in a regular, systematic way. Become familiar with the customs, culture, and practices of Bible times so that you can read the Bible with clear understanding of the context. There is so much to be learned here. The sooner you can develop a lifetime love for the Word and a habit of studying it, the better off you are going to be.

So much of ministry has to do with warfare. We are in a war. The devil is out to destroy us, and the only weapon God tells us that we are given is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. If you don’t know the Word of God, you will be very handicapped in the war. God is not going to call a soldier into battle who does not even know his weapon or how to use it. So I would encourage you to develop this habit of studying and loving the Word of God. Fill yourself with it; make it a part of your mind, your heart, your thoughts, your attitudes, and your reactions to things. No matter what the future ministry is going to be, that will be valuable.

Language Learning

If you have an interest in foreign missions (and even if you don’t), there is great value in studying another language that could be useful in relating to other people. Very young children can absorb languages effortlessly, but young people can still learn them much more easily than older people can. There is tremendous value in that, even if God calls you to a place where you don’t use the language skills you have.

I’m living in a Latin American country where the official language is English, and I invested a lot of time and effort in learning several other languages. They are not being put to use right now, but I don’t regret it at all. It is good discipline for the mind. It still opens up communication with several hundred million people throughout the world that I would not be able to communicate with otherwise.

Adopt a Country

Another thing that you could do is to adopt a certain country for prayer. That does not mean that you are making some kind of commitment, or limiting yourself to someday serving God only in that country, because God has a heart for the nations of the world. We are so focused on only a few of the ones that we know about. But who is regularly praying for the spiritual needs in Uzbekistan? Who knows what the spiritual needs are in Angola?

Who is spending regular time in prayer asking God to crack the bamboo curtain in North Korea? Who is studying Korean so that when God brings down the Bamboo Curtain, they will be ready to move into North Korea with the gospel? Several generations of people have grown up there with no knowledge of the gospel whatsoever. Somebody should be praying in faith for God to tear down those walls, preparing to move in with the gospel when God opens the doors.

I would encourage you to choose a country (you could even rotate it every month, week, etc.). It is so easy with today’s communication to actually keep up-to-date with the needs and events in a country. The internet is a powerful tool that can be used either for good or as a tool of the devil. Put it to good use. Find that country’s official website or a website about that country. Check on it every so often. Find out what is happening and read it through the perspective of discerning the spiritual needs and being able to pray knowledgably about that country. Learn what it means to carry a nation or people group on your heart.

Even those who never are called to leave this country can make a powerful difference in another nation. I know of someone who felt led by God to pray for a certain country where there was a devastating situation of warfare and bloodshed going on. This person began to pray very specifically and constantly about this need. God was burdening him for the needs of that country, and within a very short time, God turned the circumstances completely around against all human expectations. God began to relieve the suffering of those people and to stop the bloodshed. Yes, God can do that through our prayers. He can open the way for the gospel where the way is now closed.

Another suggestion (one that you definitely need to check with your parents) is to get a short-wave radio and listen to broadcasts from almost any country in the world. Almost all have English broadcasts. Short-wave radios are completely different than the AM & FM radio that is full of commercials, music, etc. Generally, short-wave is a statement of the events of the previous week, sponsored by the government of that country. Of course, you have to be discerning. I’ve heard a broadcast from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and you can’t believe everything that you hear on there, but it certainly gives you a burden for the spiritual condition of that country. If your parents would support that idea (or maybe listen together with you so that they could watch over it), that would be a way for you to understand what is happening around the world in a country that you have begun to carry on your heart.

It is also possible to subscribe to newspapers from almost any country—and very likely you could find it in English. There are people from countries all around the world who live in the US and receive a weekly or monthly magazine from their home country just to keep track of what is happening there. You could use that as a tool for the building of God’s kingdom.

One way or another, be involved now! Don’t wait until God hands you something. Begin learning about the needs of the nations of the world and carry them on your heart as you learn how to pray and intercede. Learn how to stand in the gap for a nation. Maybe someday God will allow you the privilege of visiting the country you have cared about for so long. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter. Your prayers could still literally change the history of that country. It is entirely possible. God has done it before, and He would do it again.

Final Thoughts

One more thought in preparing for ministry. God wants us to learn to find genuine satisfaction and joy in serving without being noticed or appreciated. And where could you learn that better than right in your own home, with your family? When we are appreciated, that’s wonderful. Let’s be more appreciative of each other. But if you are the one serving, and you are not being noticed, yet you are able to find genuine joy in that, then you have passed one of your courses in God’s preparation for ministry.

In everything we have looked at, there is nothing more important than that we walk with God every day. Keep a clear relationship with Him, a conscience void of offence. Allowing any sin into your life dulls the voice of God. Imagine all the damage that can be done if you are walking without the benefit of God’s guiding voice, making decisions in the flesh. But if you keep your heart free and conscience clear and God has the freedom to speak into your heart at any time, just imagine what God might do with your life for His glory and for His kingdom!

I will close with a verse from Colossians. Paul has just heard of the Colossian’s love for Christ, and he says, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled [up to the top] with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9).

This verse is my prayer for all of you young people who have a desire to be successful for God. You want to glorify Him in your lives, to learn to walk in the Spirit, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, to not make provisions for the flesh. You want to learn to involve God in all of the details and decisions of your life, including all of your purchases. You want Him to be working to perfect you, to transform you into the image of Christ, to prepare you to become a wonderful spouse for another wonderful person someday. You want God to be teaching you, preparing you for ministry.

I pray that God is going to so fill you with the knowledge of His will that in even the smallest details of your life (e.g., before you spend 25 cents for a pack of gum), God could easily say, “Not this time,” and you would hear and respond promptly. Now I don’t want you to think of me the next time you spend a dollar and feel guilty about it. I want you to be walking with God and be filled with the knowledge of His will for you. His will for you is not going to be precisely His will for me. Part of the greatness of God is that He loves us each personally, and He is willing to step-by-step reveal His will to us personally. Isn’t that an awesome thought? God cares about me!

It is my prayer—not only for the young people, but for every one of us—that we will be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”, and that we “might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (v. 10). May every little decision we make and every action we take please and glorify the Father.

Andrew and Elizabeth Weaver with their two children live in Latin America. This article was adapted from a sermon given at Charity Christian Fellowship. The full message entitled “Prepare For Success” is available from Charity Gospel Tape Ministry. Click here to order or listen to it.