• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Deeper Christian

Deeper Christian

Christ-Centered Bible Teaching and Resources

  • About
    • About Deeper Christian
    • About NRJohnson
  • Articles
    • How to Study the Bible
    • Bible Studies
    • Jesus in the Old Testament
    • Foundations
    • Bio Sketches
    • Book Reviews
    • Most Recent (Archive)
  • Podcasts + Videos
    • Deeper Christian Podcast
    • Bible Study Series in Ephesians
    • NRJohnson Sermon Podcast
  • Classic Quotes
  • Events
    • Speaking + Preaching
    • Israel Bible Study Tour
    • Discipleship Training
Grow Spiritually

Your Greatest Ability is Your Availability

NRJohnson Musing • August 4, 2018

A good friend of mine handed me a book asking if I had read it before. I hadn’t. But as I’ve made my way through it the past few weeks, I’ve been challenged, encouraged, and deeply blessed by the life of Paul Hattaway as recorded in An Asian Harvest (which is April’s book giveaway).

At the start of chapter 14, Hattaway quotes Oswald Chambers (another of my favorites) who wrote: “If you give God the right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God’s experiments always succeed.”

What a great statement!

Two other statements from this chapter have caused a lot of musing as of late. Paul Hattaway writes …

I once heard about a businessman who bought a brand new sports car for his son’s seventeenth birthday. The excited teenager grabbed the keys and took off down the highway in his powerful new toy. Fifteen minutes later he crashed into a concrete barrier and died.

The Lord Jesus doesn’t entrust the keys to His kingdom in such an irresponsible manner. He spends time building godly character into the lives of His children, often through struggles and hardship, to ensure that they are mature enough to handle the tasks He wants them to perform.

Later in the chapter, Hattaway mentions a statement a godly older man once told him that he has thought about many times since, “never forget one thing: the greatest ability you will ever have is your availability.”

I once heard a similar thing: “God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” 

Wherever you find yourself, whether it is in the “building godly character” season where you face struggles and hardships, or whether you delight every day in the provision and richness of our Lord, remember that what God wants of you is not your talent, success, or gifts … but your surrender, obsession, and availability.

Know I am cheering you on unto that end!

Filed Under: NRJohnson Musings

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, deeperChristian will receive an affiliate commission (with no additional cost to you). It is a great way to support the work and ministry of deeperChristian. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Footer

Key Content

  • Learn How to Grow Spiritually
  • The Blog (Articles)
  • Deeper Christian Podcast
  • Bible Study Series in Ephesians
  • How to Study the Bible
  • Classic Christian Quotes
  • Monthly Book Giveaway
  • Recommended Reading
  • Recommended Bible Resources
  • Contact

Learn More

  • About Deeper Christian
  • About NRJohnson
  • Speaking + Preaching
  • What I’m Reading …
  • Israel Study Tours
  • Statement of Faith
  • Copyright • Permissions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Donate

Many Christians feel frustrated because they don’t grow spiritually. We equip Christians to understand the Word of God and cultivate a passionate love for Jesus that turns the world upside down.

This ministry is maintained by the Lord through the stewardship of those who value it.

Copyright © 2023 deeperChristian.
All rights reserved.