How do I know whether I have a calling to vocational ministry?

Sketcher said:

When God calls you to that, you will know, and there will be no mistaking it.

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When I decide to go ahead and do something, I don't wait for the knowing. I do it and if God doesn't like it, He changes my direction. I wanted to be a minister when I was younger, and I applied, and the Bishop told me to spend more time getting experience in church life. So I did that. I then felt that I would be more use as a school teacher, so I went and did a teaching diploma and a bachelor's degree in English. followed by a MA. I spent 19 years being a school teacher. At one stage I became redundant, and while looking for another job I told her that I would go along to the Bishop and see about getting into the ministry. My wife told me, "I did not marry you to become a minister's wife!" I knew from that God did not want me to go in that direction. But she had no objection to me becoming an elder and lay-preacher. At the age of 65 I spent three years doing a Masters in Divinity. I got an average of 95% on all my essays, which was remarkable for me and I knew that God was in it. I am now the senior elder in my church and preach regularly. I never at any time stopped and asked God to give me a word, nor did I have exact knowledge of what I was doing was His will for me. I just went ahead and did things. The door to further teaching closed for me for a number of reasons so I went and worked for the District Court as a Victim Advisor. I ended up in an office where most of the people there were Christians. I knew that God had put me there, and I felt what I was doing was a Christian ministry even though my job was as a Government servant working for the Ministry of Justice. I then decided to retire at the age of 68, not because I got a word from God about it, but that I felt ready to retire. I then was offered three days a week work supporting the manager of a community budgeting organisation (I have been the Board chairperson there since 1998). So that door opened to me, and the pay I get from there plus my age-pension, pays the bills and gives me a good lifestyle.

If I had waited to gain a definite knowledge about stuff, I would never have embarked on the projects that proved to be so successful for me. Sure, I have made mistakes, but we learn from them, and God can turn mistakes into blessings. Sometimes we need to step out in faith into a river believing that the stepping stones will be there. The fact that they are there shows that our faith is justified. If we fall into the river, we just swim to the bank, dry ourselves off, and try at another place in the river!

Oscarr said:

When I decide to go ahead and do something, I don't wait for the knowing. I do it and if God doesn't like it, He changes my direction. I wanted to be a minister when I was younger, and I applied, and the Bishop told me to spend more time getting experience in church life. So I did that. I then felt that I would be more use as a school teacher, so I went and did a teaching diploma and a bachelor's degree in English. followed by a MA. I spent 19 years being a school teacher. At one stage I became redundant, and while looking for another job I told her that I would go along to the Bishop and see about getting into the ministry. My wife told me, "I did not marry you to become a minister's wife!" I knew from that God did not want me to go in that direction. But she had no objection to me becoming an elder and lay-preacher. At the age of 65 I spent three years doing a Masters in Divinity. I got an average of 95% on all my essays, which was remarkable for me and I knew that God was in it. I am now the senior elder in my church and preach regularly. I never at any time stopped and asked God to give me a word, nor did I have exact knowledge of what I was doing was His will for me. I just went ahead and did things. The door to further teaching closed for me for a number of reasons so I went and worked for the District Court as a Victim Advisor. I ended up in an office where most of the people there were Christians. I knew that God had put me there, and I felt what I was doing was a Christian ministry even though my job was as a Government servant working for the Ministry of Justice. I then decided to retire at the age of 68, not because I got a word from God about it, but that I felt ready to retire. I then was offered three days a week work supporting the manager of a community budgeting organisation (I have been the Board chairperson there since 1998). So that door opened to me, and the pay I get from there plus my age-pension, pays the bills and gives me a good lifestyle.

If I had waited to gain a definite knowledge about stuff, I would never have embarked on the projects that proved to be so successful for me. Sure, I have made mistakes, but we learn from them, and God can turn mistakes into blessings. Sometimes we need to step out in faith into a river believing that the stepping stones will be there. The fact that they are there shows that our faith is justified. If we fall into the river, we just swim to the bank, dry ourselves off, and try at another place in the river!

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Understood, I also believe there is a lot of room for free will. What I was getting at is the certainty that comes when it's actually God calling people to do something as opposed to their own noisy minds or someone else's influence. When God convicts us to do something, it really is unmistakable.

Peace be with you.

Korean-American Christian said:

When I was 12 years old, Dad chose to tell me the story of my birth. He also told me that since he had sworn an oath to God, I was to go study in seminary and become a pastor.

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Is your father a honourable man? Do you trust your Dad?
Do you trust God?

It is written, "Honour your Father and Mother."

It looks like you might have been consecrated from the womb and out of the womb?

You have been a teacher. What is the difference between that and teaching about God? Different subjects? Looks like you have been preparing your whole life for the Ministry.

Korean-American Christian said:

Oscarr, your responses are THE BEST. Thank you, thank you!!

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Looks like you have found your other self?

God bless you.

Sketcher said:

Understood, I also believe there is a lot of room for free will. What I was getting at is the certainty that comes when it's actually God calling people to do something as opposed to their own noisy minds or someone else's influence. When God convicts us to do something, it really is unmistakable.

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Well, yes. But after years of experience I have learned that God has given us a brain and common sense concerning guidance. I have made mistakes thinking I have had a word from God about it, but when I attempted the project it didn't work out. But every time I have researched the pros and cons, and waited for the green light in my system before deciding, I have been successful. Sometimes when I have got an impulsive thought to do something, sleeping on it overnight can show whether the desire is right or wrong. The Scripture says that we should not be like a mule, being directed with a bit and a bridle, but many believers are just like that concerning guidance. They can't make a decision until they get a "word" from God and so they let opportunities go by and then make the wrong decision.

Then you have those who are caught up in the Shepherding movement where they can't even go down to the store to buy a pair of pants without consulting with their discipler. But the movement has more serious effects: A discipler can tell a person who to marry, where they should live, whether they should go to college or not, what books to read and what CDs to listen to. In other words the discipler controls that person with disastrous consequences. Thousands of good believers have left the faith because of that doctrine because the controlling aspect of it has caused such disillusionment that when they have realised that they have been controlled, they discover that they don't have any faith of their own, and so they go back to the world.

I treat all advice from anyone by poking it with a long barge pole, ready to run away if I feel threatened or controlled in any way. I'm glad that no one has tried to control me in recent years because then I don't have the unpleasant duty to tell them to stick their controlling advice right up their acre!

I have a very select group of trusted brothers in Christ whom I will listen to. They have proved their worth to me over many years. But if some stranger comes up to me and says, "I have a word from God for you" with the intent of controlling me, they will get the bum's rush from me pretty quickly! But yet, from time to time a friend has made a comment, and I just knew in myself that it was a word from God for me. This teaches me that I am the one who judges whether a word for me is from God or not; not the person who tries to use God to control me.

However, these are just some of my thoughts on knowing what God may want us to do at times.

Hi,

I'm the last person to advise on God's calling - things in my life which seem to be clear callings from him, rarely work out.
But I do also know that doing things just to please other people is not good. I went to teacher training college for a year. I didn't really want to go, but all my friends had got their A levels and gone to uni and I felt that I'd failed, was left behind and had to come up with a plan for my life. I still remember people at church asking "is that what you want to do?" (maybe they saw something I didn't), and on one occasion my mother answered and said "well, it's what we want her to do."
It didn't last. I hated being in the classroom and my tutor said that if I wasn't sure or committed to it, I wouldn't be a good teacher, because the kids would sense it and make my life hell. It was hard telling my parents, but I did and I never went back.

A calling has to be between us and God. We may not get it right the first time, or try two or three different things. We may even find that the call changes, or is different from what we thought it would be.
But I sometimes imagine God asking me, "why did you do that?"
I could be wrong, but I feel that to say, "well, you gave me these gifts and these desires and I really believed that you were leading me in this direction", would be acceptable. But to say, "well dad/mum/my teacher wanted me to do it", would not. God has a plan for their lives; it's what he is calling you, and me, to do that is the question.
Also, that could be a way of evading personal responsibility - i.e "well don't blame me for not being good at this/making a mistake; I never wanted to do it anyhow."

Korean-American Christian said:

Thank you. Actually, graduating from seminary would make both my father and my mother happy

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You are not alive to make your mother and father happy! You have been placed on earth because God loves you, and He wants to make you happy as you glorify Him.

Korean-American Christian said:

Yes, I have been preparing for the Ministry my whole life. May our Lord bless you also.

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How many are you pasotring now?

@Korean-American Christian

You seem like a thoughtful, intelligent, articulate man who has some of the same questions many have at this stage in life. What is next for me? What am I called to do? Where does God want me? Where do I want to be now and in the future? I am sure you discuss these questions with your counselor so we don't have to get into all of that on this forum.

What I do want to ask is concerning that time when you taught English. Was is for a mission or was it for paid employment? I noticed you did that for a couple of years and even went back to it for a couple years so I was thinking you may have enjoyed it. I was also thinking that if you did still enjoy doing that job, it may leave some time in the evening to take those seminary night courses you were talking about if you felt like doing it. That way if you felt like taking a semester you could and if you wanted to stop, you could just stop going and still have your day job. Then you could start night classes again as you felt called to.

This may not and probably is not feasible and is not meant to be advice. I am not saying you should do any of this. I just merely wanted to brainstorm some options that you may not have considered.

Some other things to consider about seminary.......If you do no calling whatsoever to the ministry it may not be the best option because it won't hold your interest and you will feel like you are wasting time while you would rather be doing other things. If you do feel a calling, you may consider living on campus if you can afford it to be closer to the students and class. It would be a lot easier to make friends in a dorm. It's almost automatic that you make at least a couple without even trying.

Also you could consider going to a seminary in another state. Somewhere again where you can live on or near campus and remake yourself and have a fresh start in a totally new place. I know from experience that changing states does not solve all your problems but it may help to put some distance between you and your father in order to become your own man.

One last thing then I'll leave you alone You could consider getting a Masters, teaching, or other kind of advanced degree and possibly teach in college or community college, high school,or elementary. You could do research, be a manager, writer or whatever you want. With an advanced degree, all kinds of doors open up for you.

So, I hope you'r still awake after reading all that and consider this stuff with all the other options you know you have and try to even think of other things you can do if you don't feel called. It doesn'thave to be the ministry or nothing. Many people go to seminary just for the education and don't even go to a church ministry and just keep the degree and knowledge and experience. Also many lead great ministries and grow them to be huge congregations. It's all up to you, and of course God who makes all things possible

God Bless You!

Korean-American Christian said:

May our Lord bless you!!

I will prayerfully consider attending seminary in another state so that I can become my own man, instead of my dad's puppet.

Many Christians seem to have a negative opinion/perception of people who go to seminary just for the education.

I, however, think that going to seminary "just for the education" is a wonderful idea.

Thank you for your reply

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I took a course in Christianity at a community college, but dropped out to work more hours in my job. My Christianity teacher sent us to do research in a local Episcopal Seminary library while I was enrolled in the community college class. I liked to read and research without assignments from teachers. I used library resources in the Washington D.C. area to further my studies. I worked secular jobs to pay my bills.

Since then the Internet happened. There are PDF's, Kindle texts and free courses available online.

What you do should depend on whether or not you can get a calling from God for what you want to do, more than going to school to appease your abusive father. Being multilingual is talent. I think people should always try to improve. If you want to work an entry level pastoral job, you may need certification or someone to recommend you. Not all of us can work in fields we wanted to work in when we were young.

Preaching the Good News to the poor does not require a degree, but does require knowledge and effort. The poor cannot afford to pay you. Paul had to make tents and later ask for support from churches he planted to pay his expenses.

Edited

The important thing is to seek his will, as it appears you are, and then walk into it even if the steps feel blind and he will guide you.

Getting theological training or not getting it isn't exactly the same as committing a crime but if you are fearful of making the wrong choice God doesn't abandon and still walks with you guiding you to the right choices in the situation you are in.

So I would suggest to just go ahead and make that step even if it's blind. What is the step? You probably already know the answer so go ahead and do it.

Korean-American Christian said:

Thank you for your very helpful reply. May our Lord bless you!!

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After reading the OP more thoroughly I wish to add to that as well:

Under western standards you are under no obligation to fulfill your dad's oath however I image as a Korean values like these are very important. God honors the heart of the believer not the action. If you go to seminary because you desire to honor your father's oath this may seem odd in western context but it is not wrong and the desire to obey your father in this way can still be used and blessed by God. The key is in your heart and that is primarily what God is interested in. He doesn't care if you go on STMs or become a pastor what he wants is your heart so make sure he has that then make the step of faith to where he is leading you

If I also may be blunt you mentioned your dad been physically and verbally abusive to you and it appears you have engaged in similar activity that has gotten you suspended from school on more than one occasion. This is something you need to deal with and you know it personally. That's not a magical sentence that will fix everything and it is something you need to work out for yourself but don't pretend that making a choice to go to school will fix that. Honor God with your actions but also with you words and your dialog in whatever medium you choose should always reflect that.