During my recent trip to Nepal, I spent a lot of time teaching and training young men and women who are preparing their lives for a future in ministry.
At one school, we discussed Godly marital relationships and the responsibilities of parents to raise their children in Christ — what that should look like and how we do it.
At another, we studied the churches of Revelation, Christ’s warning to seven churches of the day about how all but one were slowly slipping away from what “church” is really all about. (It’s about Him, in case you were wondering.)
Finally, at a third, we looked at issues involved in church management and how to deal with real-life issues: choosing church leaders, divorce, tithing and in Nepal, the occasional “now that I’m Christian, what do I do with my second wife.”
And so with all the teaching I do, it’s important for me to remember this verse:
“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him” (1 John 2:27)
My truth, what I share comes from Him. And in reality, anyone who wants to know Him need look no further than the Bible.
Yes, it’s true there are parts of the Bible that are hard to understand, but every time I’ve faced a moment of “what does that mean,” God has redirected me to another part of the Good Book for clarification.
In many ways, we’ve become so reliant upon outside sources for our understanding of how God wants us to live — the latest book, a blog, a podcast series, or even a group of teachers we hold to a higher standard because of their degree or position — when in reality, we’ve already got all we need.
I want each of my pastors and students to know this. That when they are alone in some part of Nepal that hates them for what they’re doing, they’re not really alone. And when they feel confused and overwhelmed, all they need is some time in Scripture.
I can teach until the end of my days, but if they’re not willing to and wanting to go find the answer for themselves, none of what I do will matter.
I want strong leadership in our churches. It’s super important. It sets the tone and direction for the rest of the local body. But I believe that strong leadership comes to those who spend their days in prayer, in the Word, and then apply it to every aspect of their lives so that it is visible for all to see.
I pray that other believers, those who really want to live a life of abandon for Christ as we are called to do, will be drawn to such people. Because those are the ones trusting Him and not others.
What I do is important, and God has called me to it, but let me never be fooled that I hold some key that each believer doesn’t already have inside of themselves.
When we trust that God will fill our days with understanding, as we spend more time with Him, then we will find the fruit to which He has called each of us.