What is availability in the Christian life?

Availability is the voluntary decision to be used by God, as the issue in the Christian life is never our ability but our availability. We cannot prepare or sanctify ourselves; we can only choose to be available to God and humble ourselves through the simple confession of our sins. To be sanctified, useful, and prepared for God, we need only to be available.

This availability involves presenting our physical bodies as a living sacrifice or offering (Rom. 6:13). Because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), God wants it to be an instrument He can use to accomplish His plan. The goal is for every believer to be in full-time, 24-hour-a-day, Christian service.

Biblical examples of availability include Moses, who accepted self-denial and hardship (Num. 12:3; Heb. 11:25–26), and Elijah, who obeyed instructions without argument (1 Kings 17:2–3, 8–9). Others include David, who stepped forward to fight Goliath (1 Sam. 16:13; 17:37, 45–47), Isaiah, who said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa. 6:8), Esther, who risked her life (Esther 4:16), Mary, who submitted to God's word (Luke 1:38), and Paul, who poured out his life for the Gospel (1 Thess. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:16).