What is compelling you to do ministry vocationally, bivocationally, or covocationally? Are you ministering because you love to prepare and present; because it is a great way to supplement your income and provide for your family; because of the notoriety of being on the platform; because you have a ministry degree; or because you don’t really know how to do anything else? If these are reasons why you are in ministry, then it’s possible your compulsion might be out of convenience instead of calling.
God’s call gives us a task that is more than a role or a job. It involves our entire being, not just our gifting or talent in service to the Lord. So, it is a call to being as well as doing. None of us alone in our own talent can claim to possess such commitment to God and compassion for others; such knowledge of faith and the ability to impart it through our ministry leadership; and such maturity in godliness and wisdom in guiding others. Only Jesus gives that Spirit in full measure to those who are called.
We don’t have a call to ministry that was not first a call to Christ. Ministry leadership is not given to us for our talent to be elevated. Our talent is given to us for Christ to be elevated.
Convenience may fit well with a person’s plans or abilities. It is comfortable and readily accessible. And it is suitable and favorable to one’s own needs, so it can often be accomplished without divine assistance. Convenience is a vocation or occupation in the meantime.
Calling, on the other hand, is a personal invitation from God to carry out a unique task. It is a strong inner impulse prompted by a divine conviction that often requires sacrifice. Calling is ministry or mission for a lifetime. Consequently, it’s not always convenient.
So again, what is compelling you to do ministry? Convenience responds to that question with, “This is what I was trained to do, like to do, and am good at.” Calling responds with, “This is what I was created to do.”
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
