He that believeth in me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” [John 7:38]
My granny used to quote these words, “Jack of all trade, master of none.” Although she wasn’t making reference to me I took it personal. That’s because I was a Jack of all trade but mastered none (or so I thought). Many years later, after having reconsidered the quote, I realised that it’s not actually a negative thing to be master of none of the various knowledge we acquire along life’s journey. Once you get to the stage where you believe you’ve mastered anything, you may fall into the trap of not gaining further knowledge in it. We usually say we learn something new every day, and that’s true.
So what has that got to do with the Bible verse quoted above? Jesus said once we’re His followers, rivers of living water shall flow from deep inside us [John 7:38]. What does this mean?
Sometime in 1984 or ’85 I believe the Lord spoke to me and said, “I’m raising you up to be an encourager to the brethren.” Since then that’s exactly what I’ve found myself doing. Unfortunately, having misunderstood this commission, I became an assisting pastor of a church in London. I soon found out, as laudable as that step was, I was on the wrong path. God hadn’t called me to be a pastor, just an encourager. I needed to go back to Him to find out how to go forward with that commission. Now I know. Just to encourage people on their walk with Christ; like I’m doing right now. In fact, every Christian has this commission, even if they’ve not heard directly from the Lord. Our speech and actions should be an encouragement to others, especially those of the household of faith. Life should flow through us and from us. That means we must have life stored in us- the Holy Spirit is the source: the Word of God, love, compassion, sympathy and empathy… all the things necessary for lifting others up and encouraging them to keep moving forward in spite of the challenges that buffet them. God’s word has all the answers to all the world’s questions and needs; therefore if we’re full of the word we can give an apt answer to anyone who may have a question. We literally become a ‘Jack of all trade’ though master of none because we’re meant to keep digging, finding, and sharing. That’s how God’s Spirit fills our belly with rivers of living water (knowledge of encouragement from the Book of Life itself). It gives Life to the weak, the worn, the dying, and even the relatively strong.
So today, the last day of 2022, if God should give you the opportunity, be a Jack of all trade – use what’s deposited inside of you, and keep learning in the process.
If you want to read more encouraging posts, please click the link here: Encouraging Posts
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