9.25.23
Hey, Calvary Fremont –
Pastors know how to puff out their chests and pat themselves on the back. We who are pastors can be infected with the thinking that we have the most important calling in the world. I’ve heard and read several times, “God has called me to be a pastor and I would not step down from this vocation even to become the President of the United States.” I get it, but this is the career disease known as Vocationitis – inflammation of the vocation or the calling of a person. I think it attacks the insecure and the over-compensator. The treatment of Vocationitis includes a three month twice-daily dosing of Humility and Reality Check.
By this same logic someone can say, “I’ve been called to be a filmmaker and glorify Christ in this profession, and I will not step down from this vocation to become a pastor.” “I’ve been called to be a sanitation engineer and shine for Christ in my profession, and I will not step down from this to become a pastor.” “I’ve been called to be an IT engineer and be salt and light in my circles and I will not step down from this to become a missionary to a foreign nation.”
What matters isn’t what you do, but why you do it. What matters isn’t what you do, but who called you to do it. If God has called you to be a chef, it would be sin to neglect that calling to go to Bible College and receive training for the pastorate. Why do you want to do what God hasn’t called you to do?
Uzziah was the king of Judah and wanted to burn incense as a priest. When he tried to do this, he became a leper. The priests confronted the king and here’s what they said, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.” 2 Chronicles 26:18. Basically they said, “Stay in your lane, King Uzziah.” If the High Priest had tried to rule the kingdom, Uzziah would have cried out, “It is not for you to sit on the throne. Get out of the palace. Stay in your lane!” What has God called you to do? Stay in your lane! God will use and bless you there!
“But” someone will protest, “I want to be in the ministry.” I say to you that you are in the ministry. Here’s what Jesus said, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Whether a filmmaker, sanitation engineer, IT engineers, stay-at-home mom, pastor, missionary, or whatever – we have all been called to do this. We have all been called to disseminate the light of Christ wherever we are. You are in the ministry of shining for Christ, bringing people to Christ, and teaching them to obey the commands of Christ. The issue isn’t becoming a pastor or a missionary, the issue is rising to the ministry that God has called you to in Matthew 28:18-20. This is for the whole church. If you don’t rise to the ministry where you are now, you won’t rise to the ministry if you are given the title of pastor or whatever.
And the thing is, some sanitation engineers have more impact for Christ than some pastors. Some stay-at-home moms have more influence than some missionaries. Be faithful in your calling. Shine for Christ. Speak of Christ. Teach of Christ. Please forgive us pastors who act like we’re at the top of the heap. No one can say to you, “It is not for you to shine for Christ and speak of Christ and teach of Christ.” Rise up and move into the fullness of what God has called you to be and do.
Be blessed and stay healthy and follow Jesus – Pastor Tim
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