Pastor, have you considered your future lately?
What does God have for you? When is the last time you really prayed about God’s future for you and your family?
A personal testimony.
I was raised in Texas. When I was a young pastor, I had no idea what my future would be. Quite honestly, I still do not.
When I surrendered to God’s calling to come to my church over 27 years ago, I would have never dreamt I would be here this long. Growing up, it seemed our small church had a new pastor every two or three years. Frequent transition was all I knew.
Therefore, it is quite amazing that I find myself at this point in life, having served the same church for 27 years. Years ago, when I surrendered to ministry, I did not imagine much at all about my future. All I knew was that I wanted to be where God wanted me.
A basic conviction.
I have operated by a basic conviction throughout my ministry: I want to go wherever God wants me to go, anytime, anywhere and any place.
After all of these years, I still live by this conviction. I am drawn to one basic thing: I want to be where God wants me to be.
I have told this to other pastors, and I mean this with all my heart: When you surrender to God’s calling to go to a certain place, always live like you are going to be there your entire life; at the same time, always have your bags packed, ready to follow God’s calling for your life. Jeana and I still live with this zealous desire to follow God and His calling for our lives. We truly believe we have, and that His calling has been, and is at this time, to Northwest Arkansas.
How a pastor should navigate toward his future.
I want to challenge each pastor and minister of the gospel to keep these things in mind as you navigate toward the future God has for you:
1. Be 100 percent willing to go anywhere, at any time, to do anything God calls you to do.
Are you willing? When He calls, will you follow Him? Will you operate so much by this conviction that it does not matter if the geography is your preference, the timing is to your advantage or the ministry is not what you have ever seen yourself in as a God-called minister?
