The Plague: Confusing Career and Calling
A 16 year old waitress spoke volumes to me and and some friends last night at Sonny’s BBQ in Powdersville, SC, and I want to share her wisdom with you today.
Among the many things that plague the church in America is a mass confusion concerning what it really means to be in ministry; i.e. to be a pastor, a minister, a vocational servant of Christ. This is a very personal and passionate pursuit of mine, considering that my life, for the past 21 years, has been guided by a fierce and unrelenting sense that God has placed some sort of yoke, or harness, as it were, around my soul, and though at times I am unwilling or obstinate, I just can’t seem to escape this Ghost that follows me daily. I have been CALLED BY GOD to ministry, to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Sadly, this traditional sense of being called by God into service to the church and the world has been replaced by a more cancerous idea that “going into ministry” is a good “career choice.” May I not be misunderstood here…ministry is a great career, I would not be happy in any other line of work, and ministers must choose to obey the calling into ministry (not to mention that having an enjoyable and stable career should be a major life goal of every able-bodied person in this country.) But somehow, this dangerous concept has crept into the church that preaching the gospel, shepherding the flock, and pastoring the parishioners is nothing more than a career choice, that if for some reason does not work out, can be abandonded for a better career choice.
Why do I consider this a plague upon the church? Good question, glad you asked. Here is the answer, or actually, several answers.
1. A minister who feels called by God will ride out storms that career ministers would avoid. If ministry is nothing but a career, then I can bail out when the bullets start flying and take another job with less stress and more money.
2. A minister driven by a calling from God is more likely to say, teach and preach what God has told him to than one who is in it to advance his own career. Preaching hard against sin, selfishness, excess and waste will not endear you to the affluent in a congregation who need to hear such a message, and could endanger your “career.” The temptation is to preach for your career advancement instead of Kingdom advancement.
3. A man or woman obedient to a calling is less likely to appeal to other career options. A pastor once told me that if preaching did not work out, he could always use his engineering degree to get a better job. While this is technically true, it is also frightening. What if I went into my marriage with the idea that if things went poorly, I could trade in my wife for a new one? I would be reluctant to invest my life in a community of faith where I knew the pastor was eyeballing other career opprtunities and could leave at any moment to pursue them.
The young lady that inspired this little reflection was an intelligent and compelling teenager who brought us our food last night at Sonny’s. Some of the workers recognized me as the Teaching Pastor at Newspring in Anderson, SC and our conversation turned toward spiritual matters. When our waitress, Shelby Dakota, asked me about my job, I told her that I felt compelled by God at age 14 to preach the gospel for the rest of my life. She asked me if I liked my job and I told her that I LOVED IT! And what she said next was so ripe with wisdom that I promised her she would read her words here, since they begged to be repeated.
“I understand what you mean because we have been talking about that in my psychology class. If you just have a JOB, then you usually hate it. If you have a CAREER, you probably like it. But if you have a CALLING, then you LOVE IT.”
And to that I say AMEN!
April 19th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Amen!
April 19th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Amen!
April 19th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
amen
April 19th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Amen! Shelby, it was really nice to meet you.
April 20th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I am still quite new here and i do not know how things work out here just yet. A Malaysian boy. I just really want to make sure whether is this my calling or just me wanting to be in full time ministry.
Sometimes, I wish i can be in full time when i grow up next time, but i don’t want to be in if it isn’t God’s will for me. I know that there’ll probably persecution and resistance when we try to follow God.
I don’t like to see Christians not cherishing the Lord and really really have Him as their Lord, and not JUST a Saviour. I felt heart-broken sometimes when i see people who are just blinded and do not know the truth. I want to be someone that could lead these people to God, to be on fire for Him. Because i know that the only way that our souls can be satisfied is when we give ourselves to Him and also when He is glorified in us.
There are alot of things in my heart but i know i can’t just write it all down here. So, I just hope that God will help me to make it clearer for through here or something.
AND So sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. but i just do not know where to post this……….
April 21st, 2008 at 2:25 am
Clayton,
Could you explain something to me on point #2?
What is ‘career advancement’ in terms of being a pastor?
If God speaks for you and you delivered a message to what the people need and have to hear. They reject you (point at insert-random-prophet-here) and you are ousted.
But God is your provider and deliverer. You were obedient and therefore He will take care of you. God promises so in the His Word.
So, how can you advance your career in pastoring/teaching/apostle/prophecy/evangelist?
Signed,
Naive
April 21st, 2008 at 8:15 am
Wow great post!
April 21st, 2008 at 9:35 am
In response to your ?, Joe, I am referring to a mentality that I often see among some pastors that plays out like this…We are tempted to look at other bigger, more successful churches with bigger salary packages, easier work load, more vacation time, etc., and we secretly begin to desire that position of prominence. Instead of taking a calling as pastor to a small church with the mindset that we will stay there until God moves us, we secretly lust after the bigger position with all the benefits, and cannot focus on the ministry we are in for being obsessed with the church we eventually want to be at. Does that make sense? Here is an example; I had pastor tell me when I was a Freshman in college, “I will probably stay here at this church for about another year, then send out resume’s to some bigger churches, and within 3 years, I will be pastoring a church of at least 3,000 members, or I will just try something else.” I would hate to be a member at the church he was currently serving at, because obviously, his heart was not in it.
Understand…God calls some men to pastor those kinds of churches, many of them my closest friends (Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, JD Greear). But unless God equips and gifts one to work in that kind of church, then one should not be jealous or ambitious for it (in other words, what if you were not cut out to advance your pastoral career to mega-church status?)
My point was in the context of being faithful and practicing excellence where God places you, instead of using your place of ministry as a stepping stone to a “better” one or simply to advance your “ministry career ” to make a bigger paycheck.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:19 am
Man, I thought being a pastor would be above all that “bigger paycheck, grass greener” mentality.
See how naïve I am.
I have learned on thing from God is that you are going to have a wealth of opportunities and will have to make a decision. But I am obedient to God then God speaks to me and He tells me which one I should take.
I hope I never forget this lesson. Life is great since God is in complete control. I just have to remember and keep people near me who also remember how much life sucked when I wasn’t listening to God.
Thank you, Clayton. From the bottom of my heart, thanks.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:02 am
[...] From Clayton King - The Plague, Confusing Career and Calling - very need thoughts on this one, particularly for younger [...]
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Clayton
Let me, first off, say that I was blown away when you spoke at Washington Avenue Church. I am the sound tech there (sorry for the mic noise). I was moved buy this story when you told it in your sermon and moved a second time while reading it in your blog. I have been wrestling with the notion that God is “CALLING” me to serve as the audio/IT/webdesigner/whatever else I can do, at WAC.
As you stated in your sermon Chuck Bridges is an awesome, unselfish and very humble Man of God. Chris Lewis, who is a long time friend, has, especially lately, been a huge momentum in my walk with Christ. My problem is that it is taking a toll on my family and other “paying” career’s. Basically I want to be able to focus all my energy toward the church and helping it in any way I can.
So to make a long story short Chuck asked me the other day, as he does all of his staff: Would you be here even if you weren’t being paid? My answer was “I am here now and I am not being paid so, Yes.” My problem is that Chuck, Chris and myself have discussed that as we grow there will become opportunity to hire someone in my position and make them a paid staff member and in the back of my head, although I am here to serve God paid or not, I am looking toward that point a little more than I think I should.
Is it bad I am thinking that way?
I whole heartedly believe that WAC is going to do great things and want to be apart of it whether I am paid or not but I feel like the “Career” part is driving a little to much when I think the “God” part should be 100%.
PS
That day my wife was running late and missed the initial offering. As they passed the bags around for your love offering she put what she was going to put in the initial offering into yours then turned to me and noded. Not realizing that she meant to tell me she put the money in I proceeded to put more in thinking her nod was to tell me to put some into your ministry. Needless to say we were presently surprised afterword when we finally cleared up our nods. We are truly happy that God stepped in to LET us give more than we would have toward your ministry. Good Luck and many blessings to you and your family.
Josh Wyatt