As I alluded to earlier this year, I endured a change of occupation in April of 2010. Let’s correct that statement…..it was more like an occupational halt. For the first time in about 24 years I found myself unemployed. Initially, I welcomed the change with open arms. I was more than ready. It wasn’t long, however, before boredom, spiritual stagnation, and loss of identity began to settle in on me. You see, I was no longer a ‘vocational’ pastor. I was not needed for counseling, teaching the Word on Sundays, or offering leadership help to ministry teams in the church. I was in a pretty serious identity crisis.
The time recently came for me to get a part-time job. We could use the extra income and I thought this would help with my situation. Can I tell you……it didn’t! Even working at a Christian bookstore didn’t (initially) give me a sense of belonging and purpose. It was the combination of hearing other men at a marriage retreat and beginning to read Jim George’s book, A Man After God’s Own Heart, that I really began to understand a handful of basic truths. Here’s my list:
· God has called me to a life of pastoral ministry…but it may not always be serving on staff at a church.
· God has gifted me with the responsibility to be a husband and father…before ministry.
· God is calling me to Himself. More than the two items above, God desires for me to crave time with Him.
Well, that’s my story…what’s yours? Are you secure and confident in your current role in this life, or have you found yourself at a fork in the road? Whichever it is, let me assure you that He deeply desires the best of life for you. I leave you with this verse. May God complete you…that His will might be completed.
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Philippians 1:6
