Why am I not in ministry?

[Janet842]

It has always seemed to me that someone with a testimony such as mine, and someone who has been "worked over" by the Lord for as many years as I have is in some sort of ministry. That hasn't happened with me and I find it puzzling. I maybe should have felt driven to become a counselor or psychologist... nothing. I have, off and on, mentored people... but turning that into some sort of larger ministry?... nothing.

My life is one big nothing and I will grant you that my mood is made worse by being unemployed at this time with no prospects.

There is just so much I don't understand. I have been put through so much more than just about everyone I know. I'll bet 90 percent of my life as a Christian has been spent in trials, tribulations and testing. I want all that pain to mean something larger than just spending my life at some job that does very little to further the Kingdom of God.

Recently, I found a month old job advertisement for someone to work as a ministry assistant to a worship minister and I would have fit that job well with the skills I have. I broke down in tears for having missed that opportunity.

I want my life to count for something... for a LOT of something, but all I draw is a blank when I talk to God about it.

What now?

 

[razeontherock]

Hi Sister!

I cannot and will not pretend to have the answers you want, but it is safe for me to remind you of things we all can know:

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:14) Stand therefore"

3 mentions of ... just standing. Seems boring and inconsequential to us. G-d's POV can be quite different! Anyway your last trial - did your former employer ever come through and pay you?

 

[Janet842]

They paid, after I paid a lawyer $500 to give them a reality check. That money is long gone now.

 

[razeontherock]

Well congrats! That was $500 well spent.

 

[Janet842]

If they had chosen to live according to their faith, I wouldn't have had to spend that $500

 

[razeontherock]

Well if they had done that, you'd still be working for them! (Right?)

 

[Janet842]

LOL! How true!

 

[razeontherock]

Laughter is a good thing ... can be precious sometimes

 

[Blaine01]

Winston Churchill stated “when your going through hell, keep on going, don’t stop”. Sometimes suffering is a conditioning process and it isn’t pleasant while were going through it. However if we keep our faith in God and focus on and seek his will for our life he will bring us through.

I went through a period in my life that I was convinced God had decided to send me to human hell (Vietnam) and I was angry at him. When I came home I wanted nothing to do with religion, and went on a very self destructive path. He finally God my attention when I hit rock bottom, then told me he wanted me preach and teach, I argued with him for quite some time. As my life continued on a down hill path I finally asked him what he wanted of me, I’ll never forget the response, he said “I want your whole heart with no reservations” Have you given him your whole heart?

 

[omanid]

Wherever you are, it's where you're SUPPOSED to be. Take heart in the fact that it's where God wants you to be...keep going...everything will be illuminated.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9​

 

[Mark Rogers]

Back to your original question. What makes you think you can't work in a job not associated with a church or ministry and still have your life count for much by serving the way 95% of people do? By just committing to whatever you're gifted to do in a local church.

I've been in one (now) large church for 30 years. I served on the full time paid pastoral staff of that church for 9 years. I resigned when that assignment had come to an obvious end.

I am still serving, along with my wife, unpaid (for 21 years) in that same church. In all of that time, whether employed or as a volunteer my life has continued to "count for something" because of service that I am gifted to do.

It's no different with you. Working in any secular job or employed by a ministry. In either of those scenarios you can serve and your life can count for a great deal.

It's not about the job. It's about the service and your attitude.

Bottom line: Your life can count for a great deal. But it's not dependent on being employed by a church or ministry. It's about willingness to serve, paid or unpaid, in whatever area God makes available to you in your local church.

And by the way, the whole thing about "wherever you are, it's where God wants you to be" - ignore that. You can get where you are by seriously erroneous thought, attitude or behavior and it have nothing to do with "God's will."

Look for a job ..... anywhere Biblically acceptable that you can make money.

Give yourself fully to service in a local church. You'll find that over a few months remarkable changes and clarity can take place.

 

[Hedgedweller]

Hi Janet

1 Corinthians 12
King James Version

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit (((are we all))) baptized into one body,

14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But ((( now hath God set))) the members every one of them in the body,
................... as it hath pleased him..................

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Janet, think of yourself as God looks at you. Its not a graduation too, but a placement in. Where you think you should be might not truely make you happy anyway.
Blessings
Hedgedweller

 

[donnamabob]

It has always seemed to me that someone with a testimony such as mine, and someone who has been "worked over" by the Lord for as many years as I have is in some sort of ministry.

This may be true, but the Lord points out in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) that when you are faithful with little, more will be entrusted to you.

It's time to honestly ask yourself whether or not you have taken the little things that the Lord has given you and turned them into something that is of greater value to him or not.

If the answer is no, and you deceive yourself into believing that you have, then you will continue to go around this mountain of frustration. Plenty of people do this until the day that they die because they are too proud to see the error of their ways. In the end, they have wasted the time that God has given them, and it was no ones fault but their own.

If the answer is honestly yes, then perhaps the Lord is entrusting you with more, and he's waiting for you to recognize it and do something with it.

 

[Janet842]

His thoughts are higher than mine...

I have been faithful with what God has given me, and the results of that have often been unexpected in my life. For example: Four years ago, I got a $4 per hour raise and chose to go against all worldly advice (which was to invest all that extra money in a 401K to provide myself with a secure retirement). Instead, I invested every dime of it into helping the needy. That was the best time I think I have ever had in my life. But, rather than be blessed with even more money to share, the result was that I lost that job within four months of receiving that raise and went immediately on to the next testing/trial -- which reduced my income by half. God saw how I would handle plenty, now He has seen how I handle little. That turn of events wasn't what I expected to happen after choosing to be "rich toward God" (Luke 12:16-21).

Things are changing. When I started this thread, I had just come to realize exactly how badly I wanted to be in some kind of full time ministry.

As I type this, I have already applied for a job that seems tailor made to use every lesson that I've learned from the trials, testings, and pain of the last 30 years of my life. (I've already gone through a brief phone interview.) I believe this job would be the very ministry that I've hoped for. It is for a non-profit organization (not Christian) that works with mentally ill youth. The job is to mentor their higher functioning mentally ill clients through teaching them the life skills they need to hold jobs and, hopefully, one day become self-sufficient. God has built into me every talent and every skill required to do a job such as this, but at the same time I realize that I will need Him every minute. It won't be an easy job.

After I get my face-to-face interview I'll let you know what my start date will be.

 

[donnamabob]

Well, praise God, I'm positive that the Lord see's your heart in all of this. Always keep in mind that "Ministry" can be something you do in your own back yard (like picking up trash on the roadside to lessen the burden of the person assigned to do that) (not the best example). So if it turns out that this isn't the Lords will...you can always be "in ministry". Remember...whoever's least in the Kingdom of God is first!

I know a man who is a single father of 3 young children. The Lord revealed to him that he is called to provide food/clothing/furniture for the needy. He had next to nothing, and certainly didn't have much to give to the poor, so he started collecting it from others who did. He had nowhere to store this furniture, so he hoarded it all into his house. People must have thought that he was crazy. There were items stacked up all around his house, inside and out. But before he knew it, he started meeting needs in the community. Little by little, the Church was able to provide him with storage space, and at this point the Church has provided space for all of his items and put him in charge of overseeing their entire food/clothing ministry full-time.

 

[justanecho]

You're calling is to bless others. You don't need a church or a stage to do that. I use to do street evangelism because the people who really need help do not come to church. Now i do things online.

If you want to reach people start a Youtube page and start sharing your insights. You will reach more people than being in a mega church. If people like your material they will share it. Also you can start a blog on a popular website. You need to build up your credibility before anyone wants you to speak.

You mention about going through a lot of trials, so i have i. One thing i learn from it is that, when the lesson is learned the trial is unnecessary.

People want answer not motivation or inspiration. They deal with depression, loneliness, addictions, they can't afford toilet people,... If you can give people answers to this you will always be in demand.

 

[MeirDavid]

hi friend

Think all are fine

whatever you gets is get by god both a joy as well as sarrow

go ahead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kocarkacirx]

They paid, after I paid a lawyer $500 to give them a reality check. That money is long gone now.

 

[pastorpatricia]

Hi,
God’s time is not our time. We are impatient but you can’t rush God! I had a call to ordained ministry it was confirmed by others many times but it seemed impossible as I got older. I thought I must have must have been mistaken. Finally at age 67 the time was right and I was ordained, Wait on the Lord and prepare yourself for whatever He has for you.

 

[Denied]

Look for other believers and meet in a park, or in a home according to 1Cor.12 and 14. Shed the title and any idea of a clergy cast. Your ministry will come forth as well as others. Read 'Pagan Christianity' by Frank Viola in order to be rid of all the falsehoods. You gotta unlearn plenty as I and others have.