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Question from a friend of WordTruth Ministries:>>>I sense God calling me into the ministry full-time. I have started attending seminary. What advice do you have for a young man who desires to be a pastor some day?>>> WordTruth.Com Response:I am proud of you for being sensitive to God's call on your life. I think your personal walk and ministry calling are inextricably linked. One of my pastors once said, "my mother always impressed upon me from a young age: the Bible is the word of God and the Preacher is the man of God." Your goal is to be the man of God with the word of God for a desperate world. Your personal walk should keep the main things the main things. The two most important commandments are to love God and love your neighbor. Everything else hinges on these two things. In fact, our LORD Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets are summed up in this commandment to love (Matthew 22:40). The greatest pastors I know exemplify these two commands. Your ministry calling will be futile unless your personal walk with Christ is done in love, truth, and the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the source of a God-blessed ministry. Also, starting at your age, work on disciplining your life. Determine a good balance in personal devotion to the LORD, personal fitness (not just physical health but the whole man), relationships to family & friends, work/vocation, and ministry. Richard Foster wrote an extremely practical book called "Celebration of Discipline" that explores various aspects of discipline in your life. Always remember the words of our LORD Jesus about those who serve Him:
Note that it is a little backwards from what we normally think. Rather than, "whoever follows Me will serve Me," Jesus makes the point that whoever serves Him will follow Him. Sometimes the man of God forgets that the man of God must follow Christ rather than expecting God to follow your grand ideas and dreams. Also, Jesus did not say, "where My servant is I will be also." God's servant will be where God is at work. Follow Christ and focus on where God is at work. God will certainly use the man whose heart is full of love and passion for whatever God is up to. Please keep in touch and let me know how your life and ministry unfolds. May God bless you with His wisdom and the courage to follow Jesus! Rev. Randy Lariscy :-) |
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