- Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV) But now, thus says the Lord…“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
Today I am finishing up 35 years of fulltime ministry. Starting in June of 1978 I began earning my keep (I use that term loosely) as a minister at the LaFrance Church of God, serving as their Youth Pastor under the leadership of Bishop James Shealy – a good and godly man in whom I am forever indebted.
He has always said that basically he paid me to date Sonja, and he’s pretty much right – it was during that Summer we became engaged. (That’s the main reason I am forever indebted to he and the good people of the LaFrance COG).
If you were to ask me why I have spent thirty-five years in the ministry, most of those years I would have responded that it is because God had called me into the ministry. Now I see that a little differently. In reality God called me to himself and as a result some of the things he asked me to do was serve in the ministry.
The point is this: The only calling that ultimately and truly matters is that God has called you to himself. Over a lifetime your assignments may change but the fact that God loves you and cares for you and calls you His own will never change.
A sense of calling to something is great but of even greater importance and value is a sense of being called to Someone. You may never preach a sermon or officiate a wedding or funeral or be called reverend or pastor; but to be His…that is the true calling.
Every assignment – whether it is being a preacher, a plumber or a painter or whatever – will one day end; but being His – that is forever, and knowing that is what has gotten me through the good times and the bad times for all these years and that is what will serve me well for my remaining years…and the same can be true for you also if you will answer the Father’s call.
Just for the record – I’ll be beginning year 36 tomorrow (no retirement in the immediate future…I’m still got to work on that grandchildren college fund! :))
The ONE THING 