Preacher
Speaker
Media Minister
Youth Life Team Director
Youth Group Director
Sunday School Teacher
Prayer leader
Youth Camp Counselor
Church tract coordinator (don’t ask)
Church sign message changer
CPMA Director (don’t ask #2)
Singer
Brass Band member
There may have been more but that should give you a good idea of the many things I have tried to find my place in church ministry in past years of my life. Nothing ever seemed to fit. It never flowed for me like it did others. It was frustrating.
When I was younger, I was led to believe that we all have a “calling” to do something in ministry and we should seek God for that calling. I did but I totally missed it. I floundered a lot. It frustrated me. I have some church friends who were called to ministry at a young age and they are still doing it.
I don’t know why I couldn't find mine. I did know that there were two areas I did NOT want to pursue. I did NOT want to be a pastor since I grew up as a preachers' kid. I also never wanted to be a deacon since I never had great experience deacons.
I did find my calling.
I did find my calling.
Eventually.
You are looking at it. My calling is to write.
Am I a good one? No. Do I make grammatical errors? Often.
The one thing I do know is that it flows for me.
Obviously if you’ve read any of my blogs you know I get out there sometimes but there is just something to the feeling of inspiration when it flows through me to my fingers as I type. I have felt that more being a writer than anything else. I like being able to inspire others with my writing. Many years ago I published a newsletter and even had a mailing list of readers. It was an awesome feeling when I would receive feedback about something I had written that touched someone. That’s when you know you are doing something in ministry when you can encourage someone.
I think there are many who are frustrated because they feel like that have to pursue a certain area of ministry. We must - they say - find our calling. I know some folks right now who THINK they were called to preach behind a pulpit but there is no way they were meant for that purpose but yet they force it because maybe they think it is expected of them.
There were some who tried to call me to be a preacher simply because my father and grandfather had been. I tried and found it wasn’t something I flowed in doing. It didn't fit. Callings aren’t something hereditary. Just because your daddy and granddaddy did it doesn’t mean you have to do it.
I also mistakenly believed that a calling was for life but sometimes you are called to various ministries for different seasons in your life. Some people do get a calling for a lifelong ministry but we should never box God into anything.
I wish I had learned the truth about what my calling was earlier in my life. I often felt like Israel when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land. Some of us were meant to wander in the wilderness of our lives until we reached our purpose.
My purpose is writing.
Early on I will admit that I had grand ideas for my writing. I began with the newsletter thinking I would eventually turn it into a magazine. I also wrote a few books thinking I would make it “big” in publishing.
Nope. Those things never happened.
When I have prayed about my writing it seems that God impresses me with the same answer every time. Just do what I am doing. Nothing more. Nothing less. Don’t do it to make it “big” or for any other reason than to just write what He gives me to write. I’m good with that now. A calling into ministry should never be to make it big or to be famous. Ministry is a call to service and nothing more than that. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God not your own glory.
I wish I had discovered this sooner.
If you haven't found your calling in ministry, don’t stress about it. It will come. It doesn’t have to be some supernatural mystery. Just do what you know to do and you will find your purpose. It may change tomorrow or some point in the future but don’t be frustrated.
Be open and trust God.
I think there are many who are frustrated because they feel like that have to pursue a certain area of ministry. We must - they say - find our calling. I know some folks right now who THINK they were called to preach behind a pulpit but there is no way they were meant for that purpose but yet they force it because maybe they think it is expected of them.
There were some who tried to call me to be a preacher simply because my father and grandfather had been. I tried and found it wasn’t something I flowed in doing. It didn't fit. Callings aren’t something hereditary. Just because your daddy and granddaddy did it doesn’t mean you have to do it.
I also mistakenly believed that a calling was for life but sometimes you are called to various ministries for different seasons in your life. Some people do get a calling for a lifelong ministry but we should never box God into anything.
I wish I had learned the truth about what my calling was earlier in my life. I often felt like Israel when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the promised land. Some of us were meant to wander in the wilderness of our lives until we reached our purpose.
My purpose is writing.
Early on I will admit that I had grand ideas for my writing. I began with the newsletter thinking I would eventually turn it into a magazine. I also wrote a few books thinking I would make it “big” in publishing.
Nope. Those things never happened.
When I have prayed about my writing it seems that God impresses me with the same answer every time. Just do what I am doing. Nothing more. Nothing less. Don’t do it to make it “big” or for any other reason than to just write what He gives me to write. I’m good with that now. A calling into ministry should never be to make it big or to be famous. Ministry is a call to service and nothing more than that. Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God not your own glory.
I wish I had discovered this sooner.
If you haven't found your calling in ministry, don’t stress about it. It will come. It doesn’t have to be some supernatural mystery. Just do what you know to do and you will find your purpose. It may change tomorrow or some point in the future but don’t be frustrated.
Be open and trust God.
