Stay the Course: 5-Day Devotional for PastorsSample

What Does It Mean to be Called to Ministry?

During the next five days, we’ll explore what it means to be called to lead a church and what God expects of his shepherds.

We are talking about the calling of ministry, but what exactly have we been called to? Does the Bible give us a clear, singular job description, or do we fly by the seat of our pants and make things up as we go along? Do we just imitate Jesus or Paul as examples of how to be good shepherds? Have we made this calling more complex than it should be? Do we put ourselves under unnecessary pressure? How on earth do we fulfill our calling—is there a blueprint to follow?

As I read through the Scriptures, I don’t see any clear set of instructions for shepherding. Yes, Paul said to “follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1), but Paul never fed five thousand, walked on water, or was raised from the grave. So, I don’t think he means that we are to do everything Jesus did. Likewise, when Paul exhorted us to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5 NKJV), he obviously was not expecting us to be omniscient. Having the mind of Christ does not mean we will know all that he knows, but that we will think as he thinks.

God has sovereignly placed you where he wants you. He has given you the people he wants you to shepherd. Different areas of the world, and even different areas within your city, have unique challenges, temptations, and social dynamics that affect how they hear the Word. The sinful human heart is the same everywhere, but its ability to express its sinfulness is drawn out differently from culture to culture.

So first, it is critical to know the “condition of your flocks” (Prov. 27:23). Study your people. Look for common problems that they all seem to face.