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Know Your Calling

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Too many Pastors suffer from burnout or burn up. Throughout the land these ministers of God labor under a load that bears down on them while they ask, "Where is this easy yoke and this light burden?" ( ). Many eventually flee the Pastorate and some, even the faith; burned out, often physically broken down and usually disillusioned.

All too often, it is because they are laboring in a ministry for which God has not equipped them. They have taken on a load to which God has not called them. Oh, they may be called to the ministry, but perhaps not the Pastorate, or maybe not even in "full-time ministry".


If young men or women feel an inner pull to serve God with their whole life, they are often put on a leadership development track, which leads toward one end, the Pastorate.


Scripture teaches in that God, "gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers" (NIV). The Apostle Paul also taught us in I Corinthians 12 that there are many parts in the Body of Christ, and each one is important. Too often, our Western Christian culture has promoted only "platform ministries" as worthy of the "calling of God." If a young men or women feel an inner pull to serve God with their whole life, they are often put on a leadership development track, which leads toward one end, the Pastorate. They often sense this is the only role that will fulfill God's call on their life because our churches promote it as the highest form of full-time Christian ministry.

Yet for one who is called to another role in the Body of Christ, taking this mantle would be a foolish mistake. Using Paul's illustration of the physical body, this individual should not say, "[B]ecause I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body" (I Cor. 12:16, NIV). Paul and nature clearly teach that each part is critical to the full functioning of the body. By funneling most of those who feel called of God to a life of ministry into only one role, we actually rob the body of strong members in other important parts.

If a person who was made to be one part tries to function as another, he becomes useful as neither. A better approach is for a young person who feels the call of God to evaluate what talents, gifts and motivations God has sovereignly bestowed upon him. These should be considered as an integral part of his evaluation to truly know his calling.

This may help him better determine where he fits best in the Body of Christ. While it may be in full-time ministry, it could be as a Christian school teacher or as a staff member of an inner city mission. On the other hand, there may be "part-time" roles in the church such as worship leader, visitation director or nursery worker for which he may be best suited.

God's destiny for each of our lives is unique. We should encourage every believer to truly, know his calling.

2000 Paul Comfort
Paul Comfort is a Christian speaker, attorney and radio personality.

 

Courtesy of
The Center for the Study of Faith and Culture
College of Communication and the Arts
Regent University

 

 

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About The Author

Paul
Comfort

Paul Comfort is a contributing writer for CBN.com.