So You Want to Be a Pastor?

Picture this: A recently converted young man (let’s call him Bobby) approaches me to share of his zeal and passion for God and his desire to make Christ known among the nations. My conversation with Bobby would probably go something like this:

Bobby: I’m so excited! I want everyone to know about the God who saved me from my sin and who now calls me His friend. My blind eyes have been opened and my chains have fallen off, and I just want everyone to feel this way!

Me: Praise God! That’s wonderful.

Bobby: I just can’t hold this in. I think God’s calling me to go to seminary.

Me: Wait. Why do you think God is calling you to seminary?

Bobby: Well, because I want to go into full-time ministry. I want to tell everyone about Christ!

Conversations like the one above are not at all uncommon, particularly with young men who have been recently converted, have a burden for lost souls, or simply find the idea of ministry appealing. However, many of the guys who are quick to proclaim their desire to go into ministry or to attend seminary never actually go into the ministry at all. And sadly, there are some who start out in vocational ministry but fail to stick with it for various reasons.

While I could easily write about the many explanations for pastoral burnout or make a case as to why the flame that once burned fervently for the Lord inside a young man’s heart is now quenched, I am instead going to attempt to provide some pastoral insight on the front end of the problem. 

From my perspective, the church has created an unwarranted separation between vocational pastoral ministry and other occupations. Let me explain it this way: When we see a young man who exhibits a heart for God and who is confident in his faith, many people automatically assume that God must be calling that man into pastoral ministry. This attitude has transformed the way we view pastoral ministry, and it has greatly influenced the minds of young men who see becoming a pastor as the only way to be useful in God’s kingdom. Doesn’t our world also have a need for godly accountants, construction workers, and teachers?

Along with this unwarranted separation between vocational ministry and other professions, in many cases, churches set unreasonable expectations on their pastors. Rather than expecting pastors to equip the entire church to do the work of the ministry, the church often expects the pastor to do the entire work of the ministry (See Ephesians 4:11-12). Therefore, a great chasm grows between the layperson and the pastor, which feeds the attitude that pastoral ministry is the only way to truly serve God.

Sadly, we live in a day where I have come to expect that every young man who is serious about his faith will tell me he wants to be a pastor. While some of these guys might be gifted for pastoral ministry, there are many more who place unfair pressure upon themselves to be something they were never meant to be.

The pastoral office is not for the weak of heart, and even more importantly, it is not for those who would rather do something else. (And, did I mention – It’s more than okay if a young man who is a strong, spiritual leader wants to do something else!) Scripture tells us in 1 Timothy 3:1 that if anyone desires to be a pastor, he desires a good work. From this verse, we see that a desire for pastoral ministry is a prerequisite for the man pursuing the pastoral office. However, pastoral ministry is not a vocation you simply choose out of a college catalog on career day during your senior year of high school. The desire for ministry looks different than the desire to be a financial advisor or a chemist; the desire for pastoral ministry is one that requires care for the souls of men and women. Therefore, while the pastoral office is certainly not the only way for a Christian man to pursue God and to be useful in His kingdom, it is an office that should be pursued carefully, for someone who pursues it wrongly can do a lot of harm to a congregation, to his family, and to himself.

To sum things up, here is my pastoral advice for a young man who wants to go into full-time vocational ministry: Rather than spending all your time discerning whether you are called to be a pastor, spend your time simply being a Christian and focusing on your own godly living. While 1 Timothy 3:1 prescribes a necessary desire that must be present within a man who is called to pastoral ministry, verses 2-7 describe what the character of that man will look like. And the character of the man who is fit for the office of pastor is the same character that all Christians are called to aspire towards. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance to plant yourself in a local church that can help cultivate your gifts and walk alongside you as you seek to live like a Christian, whether you become a pastor or not. Remember, you are most useful to the kingdom of God right where you are, whether you serve as a pastor, landscaper, student, architect, or are currently unemployed. If you think you want to be a pastor, aspire to the character traits in 1 Timothy 3:2-7, and if you are truly called to the pastorate that desire will not flame out, and God will provide a way as your desire and gifts become evident for all to see. 

~Corey

Why the Government Keeps Failing Us

“Hope.” 

“Change We Can Believe In.” 

“Make America Great Again.”

Pretty much every adult in America could quickly recognize and identify these recent presidential campaign slogans. These slogans serve as reminders of the many promises made by politicians throughout history, and at the same time, they also serve as reminders of the lack of follow-through accomplished by these politicians as they’ve failed to deliver on their promises time and again. While these failings certainly give us something to rant about on social media, the question I propose to you is this: Why does the government keep failing us?

Does the government continue to fail us because politicians simply lie, cheat, and make promises they never intend to keep in the first place? Sure, this is a possibility. Or maybe the real issue is the two-party system that dominates Washington, which seemingly prevents any real change from taking place. Or maybe the most vital issue in our nation is not the failings of the government at all; maybe it’s the expectations we place on the government. Is it possible that we expect too much from Washington? Is it possible that we, as Americans, have been groomed to believe that our most fundamental problems are due to bad government? After all, if our problems are due to bad government, all we need is good government and that would eradicate our country’s problems.

While I definitely believe government is ordained by God to protect and serve justice (Romans 13), I also believe the government is limited in its scope and influence. Therefore, when politicians make promises they cannot keep, it isn’t necessarily because they lied to the people; it’s more than likely a case in which the political leaders of this country are simply unable to do as they promised. You see, the government governs, regulates, and protects its citizens, but the government, like all mankind, is limited, even in countries with a totalitarian government. When God ordained government, He did not intend for it to meet all the needs of its citizens, nor did He even equip the men and women within government to do so. 

John F. Kennedy was onto something when he proclaimed at his inaugural address in 1961: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” So, on the one hand, we need to be the change we desire, instead of waiting on the government to change the things around us. An example of this can be found in the racial tensions of our day. Rather than wait for our government leaders to reconcile race relations, let us begin to engage in dialogue and to truly seek to understand our neighbors – red, yellow, black, and white – who are all created in God’s image.

Then, on the other hand, we need to stop placing our trust in worldly institutions that are limited by their very nature, and instead place our hope and trust in One who is infinite and unrestricted. While every person and every institution on earth will fail us and let us down, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, will never fail us nor will He ever let us down. In Him there is lasting hope. In Him there is true joy and satisfaction. Therefore, I urge you to place your trust in Him, to stop looking to the things of this world for satisfaction, to repent of your rejection of God, and to truly place your hope in Christ alone. He is worthy of your hope, His unfailing love is eternal, and in Him there is true and lasting “Change We Can Believe In.” He might not ever “Make America Great Again” (whatever that might mean for you), but He Himself is The Great One, who will usher in not a temporary country with an unsatisfactory government, but an eternal kingdom, in which there will be everlasting joy, for He will be at the center. 

~Corey

Strangers and Exiles Seeking a Homeland

There are many ideas and opinions floating around concerning President Trump's recent executive order on refugees. Without doubt, it's a touchy subject, and (maybe to your relief) I'm not writing this post to give my two cents on the matter. But this current "hot topic" in the news, along with the division, protests, and strife occurring within our country right now, have definitely stirred up some thoughts and emotions within me as I consider how all those who trust in Christ, no matter their race or country of origin, are strangers and exiles in this world. Hebrews 11:13-16 says, "These [Abraham and his descendants] all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city."

For believers, the best is yet to come. Our eternal home, a heavenly city prepared by God Himself, awaits us. Our hope is not in the government. Sure, the decisions made and laws passed by our government officials do impact us, but they don't define us. No matter what happens in our nation or abroad, our mission is still the same. Of course, we should be concerned for the physical well-being of our fellow man, but more than that, our concern should be for their spiritual well-being; after all, a person's body is designed to last only a lifetime, but a person's soul will last for eternity. For this reason, Christ calls us to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). May we be emboldened to share the Gospel with every nation, tribe, and tongue, no matter where that may lead us, and may we walk alongside those who are enduring physical affliction as strangers and exiles in foreign lands, showing them the love and compassion of Jesus Christ our Lord. For man's only hope is Christ, who "bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24a).

Love,

Kristen