Am I Called to Ministry?

This question isn't relevant until it is, and when it is, it is really relevant. 

Most conversations about discerning calling into vocational ministry can be reduced to some form of internal, external, and circumstantial factors. These are great. But, what follows is a slightly deeper reflection I recently shared with a group of aspiring missionaries and church leaders. 

There is a constellation of factors to consider. The more of these you have, the clearer your calling will be. 

Factor #1: Biblical saturation

Considering our calling begins with right thinking. Right thinking happens through God’s Word. Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God” (Rom. 12:2). I take “will of God” here to refer to how we are to apply God’s revealed will in his Word to the many different circumstances we encounter. This takes “transformed” minds and such transformation occurs as believers are shaped by His Word, so we increasingly think like He things, love what He loves, hate what He hates, and value what He values. Put differently, His word gives us renewed minds with new ways of seeing, valuing, discerning, and deciding, all of which shape our decision-making. Its good to ask, “Am I being progressively shaped by God’s Word?”  

Factor #2 Relational authenticity

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches, whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is who bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Nothing. That’s pretty clear. Are we cultivating a sincere, surrendered relationship with the Lord that is seen in our everyday lives? A relationship marked by real, living communion? Or, is our “relationship” with God one driven by bible knowledge, expectations of others, and/or personal ambition? Such real relational authenticity will be seen in our holiness, prayer life, ongoing repentance, daily applications of faith, and the stewardship of our resources. In such a relationship we are not just asking Him to merely bless our predetermined plans, but are genuinely open to his leading. We can have plans, of course, but we hold them in open hands before Him. So, here we might ask, “Do I have a growing relationship with the Lord?” 

Factor #3 Internal desire

This may sound simplistic, but it’s not. People go into ministry for all kinds of motivations. Paul told Timothy, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble thing” (1 Tim. 3:1). He then follows this with a list of qualifications for pastor-elders within a local church. But, I always tell guys that the first qualification is desire. You have to want to do it. Such a desire is noble. Paul is speaking of elders, but this applies to anyone in vocational ministry. Do you want to do it? Is there a heart-level, inexplicable urge to do the work? Do you see the beauty, wonder, and the challenge, and want to be part of it, difficulties and all? Or, are you doing it for other reasons? It’s important to add that if you’re married, this applies to your spouse as well. Does your spouse desire this? If not, then you’re not called—yet. Ask yourself, “Do I have a genuine heart-level desire for the work?” 

Factor #4 External affirmation

What do those around you say? Those who know you best? Proverbs 20:18 states, “Plans are established by counsel.” Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 15:22 reminds us, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” We should not just rely on our internal desires but bring in others as well. After all, we may not be seeing rightly. Invite others who know, love, and have observed you, to speak into your life. Do they affirm you? Do they see what you see? Do they think you’re gifted for the work? They’ll also be able to help you discern the difference between godly ambition and selfish ambition. That said, it’s helpful to consider, “Do others affirm you, your gifts, and your desires?

Factor #5 Evidential fruit

What is the fruit of your ministry up to this point? In Acts 16:2, we learn that Timothy was “well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.” This was before Paul chose to take him along on his second missionary journey—and likely a big reason for doing so. In other words, before serving with Paul, Timothy was faithfully serving in an unknown capacity for years. So, don’t begrudge the day of small things; be faithful with them and trust the Lord for the fruit. The best measure of whether a future gospel worker will be faithful with large responsibilities is determined, in large part, by whether they're being faithful with their current ones. If we’re not bearing fruit and doing spiritual good to others now, there’s no reason to think we will later. Think about all the things you imagine doing in ministry: Are you doing those now? How is that going? It’s important to ask, “Is there fruit in my wake?” 

Factor #6 Circumstantial opportunities

We often call these “open doors.” Paul used this metaphor with the church in Corinth, “I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me” (1 Cor. 16:8-9). Is God opening doors to do what you hope to do? Or, are all doors closed? Is the way blocked? I tread carefully here because there are unique times when the way is blocked and you should keep going. I’ve had this experience myself. Usually, though, in such circumstances, you won’t decide in isolation, and other factors (like the others listed here) will outweigh a door being closed. But, that said, the Lord has a way of using life circumstances to lead us. So, “Are there open doors?” 

Factor #7 Practical availability

Practically speaking, is your life in a good place to go? Paul asks Timothy a rhetorical question about assessing elders, “If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Tim. 3:5)  The answer is obviously, “He can’t”. If your finances are a wreck, your marriage is in bad shape, your home is poorly led, and you have large amounts of debt, it is safe to say that you’re not called—yet. Therefore, use this season of discernment to get your house in order. There may also be seasons of life where it is not wise to go due to family issues or health challenges. Sometimes it is very spiritual to ask the very practical question, “Is my life in a good place for this?"

Factor #8 Ecclesiological convictions 

Are you a churchman/woman? This primarily applies to those seeking vocational ministry roles within churches or missions (whose aim should be to plant churches). I'm sure you've noticed that God’s unfolding mission in the New Testament takes place through the local churches in Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Rome, Galatia, and elsewhere. Paul tells the Ephesian church that it is “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known” (Eph. 3:10). That’s an incredible statement. Do you see God’s local church as His Plan A for advancing the gospel to the nations? Are you a member in good standing at, and actively involved in, your church? Do you know what a church is? How it should be led? How the ordinances connect to membership? What church discipline is—and why it is needed? All these play a huge role in the kind of church you’ll lead, or end up planting overseas. All this makes it necessary to ask, “Are you a churchman/woman?” 

Factor #9 Cultural resilience

Our culture is going to tell you that success is found in wealth, pleasure, and power. These can be powerful temptations. Are you still drawn to that? Or, are you able to see through it? Remember Paul’s sobering words to Timothy, “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Tim. 4:10). Demas was once a gospel partner with Paul, but the world won his heart. Are we being weaned from the world? It is far better to do this heart work before entering vocational ministry than wait until you’re amidst the work. After all, the work is not easy and the siren song of the world is strong. So, be honest and ask, “Do I have a growing resiliency to the call of the world?” You’ll hear it, for sure, but are you learning to see through it? 

Factor #10 Emotionally maturing 

Emotional heartache is one of the most difficult and surprising aspects of ministry. Few talk about it. We see this throughout the Bible and you will see it throughout your ministry. I didn’t expect the relational stuff to be so hard. Many leave ministry, or escape through sin, because of how hard the relational stuff can get. This is one of the reasons behind Paul saying, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18–19). He says “do what you can” meaning “You’re not going to win them all”. He didn’t. If you can’t handle relational drama, dealing with hard people, or being let down or ill-thought of, don’t do it. Of course, being a gospel worker can be glorious, but it can be gut-wrenching. So, it’s only right to ask, “Am I emotionally maturing?” 

Pulling it all together

Our calling is not ultimately dependent on any one of these factors, but the constellation of these factors taken together. The more of them you have, the clearer your calling will be. If we’re (1) growing in the Word, (2) walking in communion with the Lord, (3) experiencing a desire for the work, (4) being affirmed by wise counsel, (5) seeing fruit in our wake, (6) witnessing the opening of doors, (7) ordering our practical matters, (8) loving Jesus’ local church, (9) becoming weaned from world, and are (10) emotionally maturing, then we will have a good sense of at least the next step.

That’s about all the Lord gives us, right? Rarely will we be 100% sure, but I think God set it up that way so while we can be reasonably confident, we’re still entirely dependent. We might wonder, “Is all this worth it?” Yes, it is. After all, we’re talking about the greatest cause in the universe. 

Recommended resources:
Just Do Something, DeYoung
The Path to Being a Pastor, Jamieson
Am I Called, Harvey