Discerning The Call to Ministry (Revised)
I blogged last week on the call to the ministry. I need to revise them. I knew at the time their were four principles, but I could only remember three. This morning in another conversation I recalled the fourth.
The three I shared last week were:
The call to the ministry is:
Irresistible:
You can’t refuse this kind of call and still live at peace. Something will always eat at you until you surrender to this type of call.
Irreplaceable:
Nothing else will satisfy a person like this call, because it is God’s greatest desire for a person’s life on whom He places the “call”.
Irrevocable:
God doesn’t take this call away from a person once He has placed it on their life.
And the one I forgot:
Immediate:
The call of God on a person’s life begins at the moment of the call. Often people want to get the right degree or start drawing a paycheck before they live out the call God has placed on their life. I don’t believe that’s the call. The call is to “Go” and the time is NOW.
That doesn’t mean the person shouldn’t gain education, experience, or even a paycheck, but if a person has received a call from God on their life the time to get started doing something towards that call is now!
7 responses to "Discerning The Call to Ministry (Revised)"
So does that mean even if I feel like God has something out there, feel no peace and feel a complete restlessness with everything because I don't think it's what God wants, I'm not really being called by God because I don't immediately know what the call is for me?
Jason, not sure I understand your question completely, but just to clarify, my post is talking far more general about the call than specific to the place of service. In fact, I think God gives an incredible amount of freedom in determining where that call is displayed. God calls us to Himself far more than He calls us to a position. He may indeed have a definite place in mind, but He may give you latitude in making that decision. That's where the "Immediate" part comes into play. If you feel God is calling you to something, but aren't sure what it is, start doing anything in service to Him now. In fact, do several things…whatever you can find to do. It will help you further define your call, test out your spiritual gifting and your passions.
I may right another post about this. Thanks for commenting!
That's pretty much what I was asking. It's kind of annoying (for lack of a better term) to feel that burning within to serve and no real clear direction on which way God wants me to go. All I know is I've spent so many years doing things that I know were not Him and I'm tired of wasting time on things that don't benefit Him. (If that makes sense.)
Makes perfect sense. Do you know the term "schema"? I use it all the time. Love the word. As a psychological term, it basically refers to something that is so at the front of your brain that you can't miss it anymore. For example, you may not ever notice a red Ford F150 on the road, but if your best friend gets one, you'll think you see it everyday, because now it's in your schema.
It's the same way with doing ministry. Put it in your schema. Learn to look for opportunities God is laying right in front of you, every day, such as in the restaurant, at work, in the opportunities you have to say the right thing or the wrong thing, etc. Before long, you'll be noticing memory opportunity everywhere. Make sense? It's a practice that takes time and devotion. Obviously Jesus was the Master at this.
Praying for you.
Sometimes there isn’t a paycheck. Don’t let that stop you.
Duke
In reply to my own comment from almost 2 years ago, I would like to add that there may never be a paycheck.
Don’t let that stop you either. God may choose to give you a profession entirely separate from your work in the ministry. The two should work in tandem to fulfill the same purpose.
Duke
Yes, that's true Duke. Thanks! Missing you!