“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.” – Galatians 1:18
We tend to be impatient in our service to the Lord. Trusting in God’s power, we expect results ASAP. Well, in God’s wisdom, as soon as possible might be a period of years. It certainly was for Saul (Paul). While a casual reading of Scripture tends to make us think everything happened very quickly, a more careful reading reveals that even for God’s most famous servants, things took time.
After his conversion, Saul spent three years doing… Well, we aren’t really sure! It certainly wasn’t high profile or famous! Most likely, he was praying, meditating on Scripture, and figuring out how to integrate his encyclopedic knowledge of the Old Testament with its perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was working in and through Saul, who’d already spent YEARS studying Scripture.
Only when the time was right did God move him out into ministry. Though he began preaching immediately, he wasn’t yet prepared (in God’s eyes) for the work prepared for him. Even after the three years, it would be several more years before Saul was called to help lead the church at Antioch and go out on mission. Everything was in God’s good timing and the results were magnificent. The lesson for Christians today isn’t that we should wait around doing nothing. Rather, we should always use our time well – worshipping, practicing personal spiritual habits like Bible study, meditation, memorization, prayer, fasting, giving, growing in community, serving God in various ways, and sharing Christ as we’re able.
God will transform us as we do these things. He will mature us and make us more and more like Jesus. He will also give us some clarity about what and how He wants us to serve Him in the future. As we gain that clarity about His calling on our lives, then we will already have begun the formation needed to be truly useful to Him. So, use your time well. Grow in the Lord. But be patient with Him and with yourself. You’re on a journey and even if you feel stuck, know that God has already prepared good things for you to do for His glory (Ephesians 2:10). #FollowJesus