The Call to Ministry

Charles Spurgeon wrote in "Lectures to My Students"

"Do not enter the ministry if you can help it...If any student in this room could be content to be a newspaper editor or a grocer or a farmer or a doctor or a lawyer or a senator or a king, in the name of heaven and earth, let him go his way; he is not the man in whom dwells the Spirit of God in its fullness, for man so filled with God would utterly weary of any pursuit but that for which his inmost soul pants. If on the other hand, you can say that for all the wealth of both the Indies you could not and dare not espouse any other calling so as to be put aside from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, then, depend upon it, if other things be equally satisfactory, you have the signs of this apostleship. We must feel that woe is unto us if we preach not the gospel; the Word of God must be unto us as fire in our bones, otherwise, if we undertake the ministry, we shall be unhappy in it, shall be unable to bear the self-denials incident to it, and shall be of little service to those among whom we minister..."
As Aaron and I were driving home from a church visit a few weeks ago, we discussed this very thing. Would we abandoned our calling if we were offered immeasurable wealth, assurance of health and safety, and guarantee of a life of ease and comfort. We both sat quietly for a few moments and then simultaneously blurted out, "absolutely not!" The deepest of desires has been placed in our hearts, one that can only be placed by our loving God, to minister and share His gospel message. No other life would touch the one we know He has called us to. Nothing would satisfy the longing that God has placed in our heart, short of accomplishing His call to ministry in Kenya. We echo the words of Paul to the Thessalonian believers... Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. (I Thess. 2:8)
On all of this we know that our God is Sovereignly in control of our lives and our calling. This is why we press on into the life that God has called us, but with open hands. He has the right, at any moment to end our journey, call us elsewhere or even call us home to heaven. What great peace and comfort there is knowing that the same God that created Heaven and Earth, extends His grace and mercy to sinful humans, and then allows us to be used as His instruments in sharing His love! Wow...that is a life worth living or dying for!