I never became a preacher. Believe me, I tried that path to see if that was my "calling" but I quickly learned that wasn't me. I could have forced it or faked it, but it just didn't fit me.
It is true that God calls men and women to do certain things to proclaim the Gospel into the world but sometimes people call themselves into ministries that aren't fit for them. What I am going to write about is based on my own personal experience. As with anything, please seek God for these things for yourself don't just base it on my opinion. A calling is a very personal matter. There are some truly called people out there doing great things in the ministry. Being called of God to be a pastor, preacher, teacher or prophet is a serious calling and not something to be forced or faked.
Pastors
I know some good pastors who fit the calling. My friends Jay, Gary and Lanis are some that I think of who have followed that calling. They each have their own unique story of their journey to get to where they are now. Being a pastor takes a special person. If you think being a pastor is all about preaching behind a pulpit you need to know that preaching is probably about 25% of the job. There is so much that goes unseen in the job description of a pastor. A pastor is also an administrator and facilitator of a church. My dad spent much of his time visiting hospitals and in homes of people that needed prayer or counseling. I had a pastor once who was an amazing person, but he struggled in delivering sermons on Sunday Morning. Honestly at times it was quite painful, but I liked the guy because I knew he had a good heart. I also had another pastor who preached loud and stirred up the congregation on Sunday mornings, but he was a terrible people person. I remember once when I needed to talk to him about a very personal matter, but he kept looking at his watch because he was late for an appointment. I cut him loose and never discussed my issue with him or sought any counseling from him again.
Another important part of being a pastor involves the family. The family also goes through a lot with the pastor. I know this firsthand with my dad being a pastor. So, if you think you are being called to be a pastor, you need to include your spouse and children in the process. They will need to be onboard with their support. Let me tell you that this is CRUCIAL and something not to be ignored. My dad spent many years struggling in his ministry because my mother never wanted to be a pastor's wife.
I will also never forget a time that I was talking to my parents about an issue we were having and my dad telling me that he needed to get to church. I asked him who was more important - his members or me. I was stunned by his response that his members were more important. Yet, guess who was with him during the last week of his life?
God does call people to be pastors, but you need to make sure your zeal gets a reality check for the work ahead of you.
Preachers
I have known some awesome preachers and I have also experienced some that I questioned their calling. I grew up with my dad often scheduling people we called "evangelists" who would come to our church and preach every night for a week in what we called "revivals". Some were good. I will always be grateful for Bruce Scotton who came into my life at the right time to show me a personal side of someone who knew God but also took a personal interest in my own life. Today it seems we have too many preachers who want to preach about an angry God rather than the "good news". Being called to preach is also more than just standing behind a pulpit. I heard a preacher recently describe that he was humble. If you are humble, do you really advertise that in a sermon? Isn't that better shown than told? I have also known preachers that have come down from the pulpit and into the trenches of where someone is in their lives and shared the news of God's redemptive power to transform their lives. These preachers weren't afraid to get dirty or go to where the sinners are. Don't become a preacher if you want to make a name for yourself. Preaching should be to proclaim Christ, not so you can have a title.
Teachers
As you would imagine, I have had many Sunday School and Bible Study teachers in my life. The ones that have really made an impact on me were Harlan Campbell, Sarah Knowles and James Hughes. I still remember many things they taught and how they taught them. These folks were truly gifted teachers. Teachers are such an important part of a believer's development. These people study the Bible and apply real life to it for better understanding. Teachers are so instrumental in making the job of pastors easier in giving them people who are trained and prepared for ministry of their own. I can admit that I also tried to be a teacher, but I failed miserably at this. Again, I forced it, and it just wasn't me. It didn't come natural for me as it did for others.
Prophets
One thing is certain about prophets, there are more people out there claiming to be prophets than there actually are legitimate prophets. Prophets are people who are called by God to do supernatural things in the spirit. As you can imagine, this calling is abused by many people who what to be super spiritual and become false prophets. I cringe when people call themselves "prophets" or "prophetesses" and have that title on business cards. Unfortunately, I have encountered more people who claimed to be prophets than people who were actually prophets. One that comes to mind is a "prophet" who would often give a "word of knowledge" to people about their lives. People would flock to him because they wanted a "word" from the Lord for them about something. Most of the time these "words" did not turn out to be true. When I had a "word" of my own for this prophet, he rejected it claiming that God would not give a negative word for anyone. I asked him if he ever read about the prophets in the Old Testament. So, I don't have a good experience with prophets. A man once said that it's easy to prophesy that someone is depressed when you see them hanging their heads and sad. I am sure there are true legitimate prophets out in the world, but I doubt they advertise it or have business cards printed up. Being a prophet is a very serious and sacred calling that shouldn't be used as a circus sideshow. It is about pointing people to Christ not to the prophet.
If you are considering a calling on your life, take is seriously and don't assume anything. God's calling isn't hereditary, and it doesn't always make sense. Just look at the ones Jesus called to follow Him. Sometimes God calls people we would never consider. You also don't have to get a degree in theology or have the title "Dr." in your title to be called of God. My grandfather had a sixth-grade education, yet God called him into the ministry and his style of preaching reached many people who needed a down-to-earth simple preacher to speak to them. I'm not saying that education disqualifies people to be called of God but confidence in a calling needs to be based on God first and not just on education.
THE most important thing to remember is this -- whatever you do, do it for God.
