You do realize that ALL Christians are in an on the job training [ojt] situation – yes? We learn and grow through our successes and mistakes. For me, some of my understandings:
- We do, act during the ojt – we’re not just learning
- We will never be left to our own devices, we have a partner in what we do and
He is called – the Lord. But, though He could, He never will do more as our
partner than what we allow Him to do. - It’s OK to be in this ‘status’, it takes time to learn and understand, be and do.
- We never go into any situation without being totally prepared, but this also
requires us to utilize our preparation… like putting on the whole armor of God
plus knowing about our weapons.
Obviously, there are more I could list, but these 4 are always involved in our learning and growing, discovering and acting. However, I think it is critical to learn about our armor and weapons, but not simply in an intellectual format – we need to know when, where, how to use our weapons and the importance of not rushing into any battle without our armor.
“For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,” [AMP]
I also believe that based on our personal giftings, we also need to learn when and how to act on our gift because we all are called to ministry. Nowhere in scripture does it tell us that we have been called to merely sit in a pew. Why would God go to all the trouble and anguish He and Jesus experienced to have us do nothing with our salvation? Does that make any sense. There are family and friends and maybe even an enemy that needs to know the Lord that you can become the Lord’s hands and feet and mouth. We can always share and demonstrate through our behavior just how important being born again is.
On the job training is always the opportunity for us to grow in our gifting, in our calling.
“So roll up your sleeves, get your head in the game, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. ,,,
Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.” [1 Peter 1: 13-15, 18-21 MSG]
I could share other verses but my point is OJT. Once we are saved, and yes we do come just as we are, we are not instantaneously mature Christians. We start just as the natural birth starts – with babyhood. But if we want to become all He sees in us, all we can, then we need to grow, to continue our journey of becoming. It’s never a cake walk but anything worth having does require us to be fully engaged. One of the tools is our OJT that will lead us as we abide in Him to fruitfulness and fulfillment (John 15: 4-11). What an adventure, what a journey is in front of us!!!
