Acts 11

I think God's definition of a good man is very different from my own. If I was going to pick people to lead the church and to evangelize to large cities, I would find people who were naturally leaders, empathetic, and eloquent. When interviewing students for Case, it's always the same attributes that I look for: good background knowledge, experience in the medical field, passion for the practice of medicine, good teamwork skills, and not socially awkward. But when God interviews people, He only looks for one thing: love of Christ. When the author of Acts describes Barnabas as a good man, the only traits he mentions are that he was full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith. Anywhere in the New Testament, when they describe people who served God mightily, it never mentions any of their personal skills or attributes, it only talks about their faith in God. In reality, I think this is really the correct measure. When God calls us to serve, He doesn't call us because we're better speakers, more intelligent, or have more skills, He calls us out because we have faith in Him. As a doctor in training, I've been learning a lot of skills in interact and empathizing with people. But when I minister to them, I must remember that I can't use the skills I have developed, but I need to rely on the Lord. Only in this way can I truly heal them, not just body and mind, but also their spirit.