Are you struggling with fulfilling your calling in the Lord? If you are, here’s a message for you: Don’t quit, because God’s not done with you yet!
Sad Reality
Several articles on the internet show different statistics regarding Christianity, Christians, churches, church leaders, and pastors. One certain article struck my heart when I read it.
According to a 2015 pastor’s survey conducted by ExPastors.com, a “place of help, healing and hope for expastors, pastors, and church leaders,” many pastors doubt their calling, feel inadequate for the task of ministry, and have stopped pursuing ministry as a pastor. This is a sad reality that we as a church must wake up to respond to.
Some of these beloved people have quit because of the pressures, the lack of support, and some other personal reasons. Some of them return, but sadly, some of them don’t.
It’s Not Just the Pastors
The Bible tells us that when the shepherd is struck, the sheep gets scattered (see Zechariah 13:7). This simply means that if many pastors quit the ministry, we can only imagine that more people would leave sometime soon. Some of them would find another church, but sadly some of them would leave the faith and quit their pursuit of Christ.
These people, whether a church leader or not, are precious in the sight of God. When they quit ministry, we can only hope and pray that they do not ultimately quit in their relationship with God and pursuit of Christ.
God is Faithful
Friend, if you feel like giving up your faith in God, let me encourage you: God will never quit on you. He won’t stop working on you, so don’t let go of your faith in Him. Philippians 1:6 tells us “that the One who began a good work among you will keep it growing until it is completed on the Day of the Messiah Yeshua.” (Philippians 1:6 CJB)
If you feel like you’re a failure and can’t fulfill your calling as a pastor, evangelist, apostle, prophet, or teacher, remember that your ultimate calling is to be a child of God fashioned in the likeness of Christ. (see Romans 8:29)
If you feel like you’ve disqualified yourself from being God’s child by falling into sin, repent and turn back to God. What matters is you don’t turn your back against Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9; see also Isaiah 1:18-20)
If you feel like your work for God doesn’t bear fruit and are tempted to quit, “know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless” (1 Corinthians 15:58). “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9).