I think the “call to ministry” as designated for select
individuals is misleading. All Christians are called into ministry
because all Christians have spiritual gifts that are to be employed for service
to the body of Christ. (1 Peter 4:10) That doesn’t require a definite “calling,”
but a daily working out of those gifts as we grow in our Christian walk and
seek to serve the body.
1 Corinthians 12:12-24 identifies that everyone
has a part to play in the growth of the body. (Also in Ephesians 4:16) I
don’t dismiss the fact that God may have specific roles or even specialized
ministries that He directs us to, but it is more revealing of our progress in
the faith.
In my way of thinking it is a tragedy that members of the
body of Christ are often thought of as being divided into two categories, those
who are "called to the ministry" and those who "do secular
work." When in reality, both groups are called by God, and every member of
Christ's body is called to ministry.
Just because God calls only some of His children to vocational
ministry does not mean that those whom He doesn't call to vocational ministry
are any less called to do what they do. If
you ask, for example, any pastor or evangelist how he knew that God was calling
him when he began to pursue vocational ministry, a very small number of them
will tell you about hearing God's voice or seeing a vision.
The majority will simply tell you that they "felt
led," realizing that God gave them the desire and gifts to serve Him in
some vocational ministry. It comes down
to the fact that they were interested and felt qualified; the same criteria
that most people use to determine their career.
God gifts people in different ways, and how He gifts them
makes them more suited for some careers than others. And who can say that the gifting of the
accountant, carpenter, homemaker, nurse or teacher is any less of a gifting
from God than the gifting of the pastor or evangelist?
A “life calling” will influence your vocational choices,
but it is much bigger than your career or job.
Every person, and definitely every Christian has a “Life Calling” from
God. Finding your life calling may be
the most important thing you can do, for it is discovering your purpose for
living. My “life calling” is what God
wants me to do with my life, and how I fit in with what God intends to do on
earth to bring His kingdom to pass.
Just imagine, if it weren't for all those so-called
"secular" gifts (which are actually all sacred), it would be impossible
for anyone to pursue a calling to vocational ministry, for the simple reason
that the large majority of vocational ministers are sustained by those who earn
money in "secular" jobs. To
put it plainly, if everyone were called to vocational ministry, everyone would
be starving.
All of this is to say that all of Christ's followers
should seek His will regarding their specific vocational calling. And regardless of what it is that God calls us
to do, we should follow Paul's admonition that, “Whatever you do, work at it
with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that
you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord
Christ you are serving." (Col. 3:23-24)
These words are not written only for pastors and
missionaries. All of us work for Jesus. So we should give Him our very best. When we do, there is an excellent possibility that
we will succeed in our vocation and further His kingdom at the same time.
Oh, and by the way, it is important to keep moving. We sometimes refuse to move until we are
certain of the call. But it is easier to
redirect something already in motion than to get something moving. When we step out in faith, even if our step is
not quite in the right direction, God is faithful to guide us.
"And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
(Romans 8:28)
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so be sure to comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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