The Call

I’ve recently been focusing a lot on the Call that GOD placed in my life. This was not something that I sought out, nor—to be honest—even wanted. Yet, despite my myriad efforts to disqualify myself, GOD still wanted me.

Thing that I’ve had the most trouble accepting this in the fact that this Call came from GOD, not man. I kept looking to man for affirmation for something with which they had no connection. Add to this the fact that I felt completely unworthy of the Call, and you can see my predicament.

How often, do you think, do we advance or quash GOD’s process so that it can fit into our system?

A friend of mine was called to be a preacher several years back, but not one door has ever opened to him. He’s come to me often asking what he needs to do with this call to preach. He tells me that he never feels an overwhelming burden to share something. When he hears sermons or lessons, he never sees himself in that position, thus his extreme discomfort with the calling. I asked him how he knew he was called to preach. He responded that a preacher walked up to him at the end of an altar service and said, “GOD’s calling you to preach, so start acting like a preacher.” 

How does a preacher act? Aren’t we all called to go make disciples? Does acting like a preacher involve over-spiritualizing life, or wearing suites all the time, or using so much hair spray held over from the 70s that your coiffure could be used as a foundation for a small house? How does one act like a preacher.

After much conversation, my friend finally admitted that he had never heard from GOD that he was called to a pulpit ministry. Since he’s stopped trying to fit into a man-created mold his walk with GOD has flourished, and he’s actually reaching people, and he never sets foot in the pulpit. The well-intentioned preacher maker was correct about one thing: GOD was calling my friend, but not to fill a pulpit. GOD was calling him to be a disciple maker.

The Call to be a minister is not a Call to a hierarchy of ϋber-spiritual leaders, rather it is a Call to be a servant to the Community of Christ and to the rest of the world. GOD never called us to a pedestal, He called us to serve. Methinks that far too often we misuse the Text that admonishes to give honor to whom honor is due. This is not a commandment for the congregation to wait on the ministry hand and foot. This is a commandment to acknowledge that anointing flows down. It is perfectly natural for the laity to want to honor the authorities that GOD has delegated above them, but those to whom He has delegated authority must never allow ourselves to be placed above the people who we are to serve.

It is impossible to serve someone while at the same time lording over them.

I thank GOD that He saw fit to Call me to His ministry. I thank GOD that He Called me to be a servant. Lord, help me to be humble as I serve Your Community and the world in which I live. Help me to lead in the same way that You led, from within, not from above.