here to help and encourage students sensing a
call to ministry
I am called - what do I do now?
By Joyce Ashcraft
"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:1-3
You know that God has called you to serve Him - to serve His church by being a pastor, youth or children's minister, missionary or another role in vocational ministry in some kind of ministry setting. Yet, that seems to be in the distant future. What can you do now? Here are a few suggestions:
- Ask yourself what it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Things like a regular consistent reading and study of God's Word and prayer build a strong foundation in your relationship with Christ.
- The verse above describes the kind of life that is based on character traits that we often call the fruit of the Spirit. Are these traits consistently part of the way you relate with others? Having a humble spirit that expresses itself in gentleness, patience and love will help you express your calling even now.
- Find opportunities to serve through your church or a local ministry that give you an opportunity to help others and tell them about the love Christ has for them.
- Approach a minister in your church and ask if you can shadow them one day a week after school. This will allow you to ask questions and see the work of a minister. Sometimes it is not at all what we imagine.
Most of all, remember that "real life" is not something out there in the future. It is right now. While you may not serve as a pastor right now, there are opportunities to lead your peers in following Christ and helping others.