The apostle Paul wasn’t a church planter.

He didn’t travel all over Palestine and Asia with a goal of expanding membership or to help generate building funds for the congregations of Jesus Christ’s assemblies.

Nor did he develop personal career goals only to surface over time, conflicting with the purposes Jesus had described for him at his conversion.

But he was a disciple maker.

He was, in that sense, just a man—a man who learned to adapt to every circumstance he found himself in. A man who ultimately took the skills he spent years learning and the wisdom he had acquired and pointed them in the right direction.

But that opportunity didn’t just fall into his lap.

In his letter to all the saints in Christ Jesus who [were] in Philippi, he described a learned process which became instrumental to becoming a powerful witness and teacher of the good news given to the Gentiles:

“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be self-sufficient in whatever circumstances I exist. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every [circumstance] I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all [things] through Him who strengthens me.” [Phil. 4:11-13] [my emphasis]

The man of God learns how to effect discipleship based on the conditions of the road he travels on. He anticipates the lean times while, at the same time, he waits patiently to partake of the fat of good fortune.

He may not be the captain of the ship, but he’s definitely the pilot.

He’s an any and every kind of guy.