Habit #6: Availability

9 Habits for Effective Life Group Leadership
Habit #6: Availability

 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

- Isaiah 6:8

It's about showing up. And sometimes I don't do it. I almost always regret it, but sometimes I don't do it. Sometimes I walk into a situation where I'm intimidated and I want to be liked and I want to fit in, and I don't choose authenticity. And it's always pretty miserable.

-Brené Brown

We are in the next set of habits of Effective Life Group Leaders. During this set, we are focusing on the Life Group Leader. The healthier you are, the healthier your group can be. So let's dive into the sixth habit.

An Effective Life Group Leader is available. What does it mean to be available? Is God going to call you to go to the freezing cold of the tundra to share the gospel? Or will God ask you to go to the burning desert to minister? Maybe... More likely, God will have you minister in your small group to someone who really needs you to step in as they deal with their habits, hurts, and hang-ups.  

Let's look at I Samuel 3.  

The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God, where the Chest of God rested.

Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Yes? I’m here.” Then he ran to Eli saying, “I heard you call. Here I am.”

Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” And so he did.

God called again, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel got up and went to Eli, “I heard you call. Here I am.”

Again Eli said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” (This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.)

God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.”

That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed.

Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

In the midst of the crazy cycle of the people forgetting God, a little boy began to hear God’s voice. Samuel’s mom had dedicated him to the Lord and he stayed at the Tabernacle with the priests. His life had changed so quickly. I am sure Samuel was a little boy in a daze.  

Then in 1 Samuel 3:4, the Bible says, “The Lord Spoke to Samuel.” This was a rare thing according to the story and Samuel had not heard the Lord’s voice yet. So he jumps up and runs to the high priest’s room and says, “Here I am.” 

God didn't speak often during Samuel's childhood. In fact, hearing God's voice had grown so rare that Eli didn't recognize the situation at first. Eli is a little slow on the uptake. It takes a couple of times of this before he realizes God is trying to speak to Samuel. Samuel had grown up serving God and he had never heard his voice. 

When Eli gets it, he tells Samuel to answer God, “Speak your servant is listening.” God calls Samuel again and the deep relationship between Samuel and God was forged.  

So what can we glean about availability from this story:

• Being available doesn't always happen on our timetable or will always be convenient for us. Samuel was supposed to be sleeping when God called. He had responsibilities and needed his rest. Who hasn't had a Life Group member need you at an inconvenient time? 

• Being available doesn't guarantee comfort. Samuel had to deliver a pretty hard message to Eli. Who hasn't had to help a Life Group member deal with correction?   

• Being available does not require a ton of skill. Samuel was probably between 12-16 years old. Who hasn't felt unqualified to lead their Life Group? 

So, let's wrap up the definition of being available. Being available means opening our calendar and giving God the time needed to use us. Being available to give the people we lead in our Life Groups the time they need to know: Everybody's Welcome. Nobody's Perfect. And with Jesus, Anything Is Possible.