I once heard the definition of a minister as being “one who stands in the place of a great one.” Think of it in terms of a “minister of the interior” for a country. They stand in the place of the Prime Minister of the country. Of course, the person sharing the definition was talking more specifically about the aspect of a minister standing in the place of THE Great One, God. A minister of God should be a physical representation of God to those around them.
The trouble comes in when we think ministry is just for a select few instead of for everyone who is a follower of Jesus. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16ff; Mark 16:15ff), though shared with Jesus’ disciples, is for all of us. All of us are supposed to be involved in connecting people to Jesus…all of us are supposed to stand in the place of THE Great One. . .all of us are supposed to be ministers!
When Paul of the Bible went on his missionary journeys, he often supported himself through the trade/vocation for which he’d been trained: tent making. Today, that is often the moniker (“tentmaking ministry”) used for professional ministers who support themselves through something other than funds raised through ministry. For so many people, they only think a “professional minister” paid through an official ministry is a “real minister.” However, that is simply not the case. God calls each of us to ministry in our vocation and life in general. The people that you will engage throughout your life may never interact with a “professional minister.” A pastor at a local church usually does not have the reach that you do going out into the community. As a result, you need to be prepared for ministry in your calling and vocation.
The concept of calling in traditional “religious” circles often is made in connection with being called to formal ministry. A person is “called” to be a pastor, or missionary, or whatever. Yet, I’ve met some people who clearly had a “calling” that was not at all recognized as being a “minister.” People gifted in what they do, teachers, for example, are often in this mix especially when their work tends to be more altruistic in nature. However, it isn’t just those fields to which people are called. Each of us have something for which we are exceptionally gifted or prepared, to which we are called. When we step into that role, we often find that we are more satisfied and fulfilled with the work that we do. That is usually our calling.
Our vocation, or field of work, is something that requires preparation and continued development. That is, we may have giftings for the field but it does not make us immediately ready to do the work of the field. Preparation could be formal education in higher education beyond high school such as trade school, college, or university. It could mean that we go through and obtain certifications. It might also mean that we are trained and/or mentored by someone in the field. Regardless of the method of preparation, vocation requires preparation. While we may be called to a field, failure to properly prepare may result in failure in our vocation.
If you choose to submit your life, calling, and vocation to The Great One (God), He can use you as a minister of His choosing. You can be very accomplished and even following your calling but not submitted to God. You miss out on the ministry opportunities when that is the case. I think of gifted musicians a lot in this situation. They are clearly called to be a musician, have prepared substantially for that vocation, but then do not submit it to God. They miss out on the ministry of their calling.
As I think about the concepts here, I think of them on a 3-D axis (with X, Y, and Z axes). The X-axis is Vocational Preparation. The Y-axis is Calling. The Z-axis is Submission to The Great One/God. I’ve created (with the extensive help of my good buddy, ChatGPT) a Ministry Index, that gives a snapshot of ministry for you. Check it out here.
You are called to ministry, regardless of the field. Prepare yourself for that ministry to stand in the place of THE Great One where only you can stand.
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