I have spent today getting ready for a college class I am teaching for the first time tonight. The title of the class is "Apocalyptic LIterature: Understanding Its Style and Theology." I have taught a class on Revelation, but this class will also cover Daniel and other books of the Old Testament. It has been a challenge to put together.
Then on Thursday night I will teach a class on Communications. This will be the third class session, but also the first time to teach this class. Later this year, I will teach a class on Decision Making, which will also be a first. This past summer I taught a class on the book of Psalms, which challenged and stretched me since it took was a first time class.
Why do I commit myself to prepare and present these classes? The answer is simple: Without them and what they force me to do, all I have is anointed ignorance. Let me explain.
AN EXAMPLE
If God pours out His Spirit on me (or you), I have some measure of anointing. Yet if I am ignorant (not stupid, just ignorant - I am capable but underdeveloped), then I have God's anointing, but He doesn't have very much to use. Therefore I have anointed ignorance. I have His Spirit, but I don't have the necessary knowledge or wisdom to go with it that He can use and apply.
Here's an example. Perhaps you are talking with someone and you think of a verse of Scripture that could help them at that point in time. Yet you don't have your Bible with you. You have the desire to help, perhaps even the anointing to help, but you don't have the knowledge to help. You have anointed ignorance.
Now let's say that you had taken the time and made the effort to memorize that passage. Now when you are talking to a person and the 'anointing' is present, the knowledge is also present and you can share that passage, even though you don't have that Bible.
THERE'S MORE
In addition to all this, recent studies prove that your brain never gets old and wears out. It maintains its ability to learn and develop new habits and thinking patterns all your life, barring some disease or trauma. So you can keep confronting your areas of ignorance by continuing to learn and grow mentally and intellectually, thus increasiing your usefulness to God and His people.
I went back to school later in life than many typically do and I now teach as often as I can because I have a lot of ignorance. The only way to rectify that is to learn and then offer my learning to God so that perhaps He can use it for HIs purpose and glory. What's more, God does not promote potential; He promotes people who have developed their potential, those who have confronted their ignorance in the midst of their anointing.
How about you? Are you waiting for God to promote you before you have developed yourself and the potential He gave you? Are you asking the Lord to do all He can do while you are not prepared to do all you can do? I urge you to do something to address and develop your potential. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a whole lot of anointed ignorance, which can only be addressed when you take the time and make the effort to fill the void where ignorance resides. Thank you for reading and have a great week!
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KENYA REPORT: Read about the national teachers strike in Kenya and how the library in Banana is helping the youth there during this time.
RADIO: Don't forget to tune into Wake Up to Purpose next Saturday at 8 AM Eastern time on 73WPIT AM or on their website via live streaming. You can also download the WPIT mobile app and listen on your phone. I will upload each episode as well for you to download at your convenience once the show is done.
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