Good Morning Pastor!
The greatest gift that a pastor can give to a church is that he went there in the first place in obedience to the call of Christ. The pastoral search experience has unfortunately become much like a corporate job search. But in the church we must hold dear to the call because without it we will have lukewarm, misguided dying churches.
In the first church that I pastored I earnestly tried to hear God’s call. The church had made a decision that I was going to be their pastor before I ever got there. We were going there to do a concert and evangelistic service with our family. When we arrived the church chairman greeted us and the first thing he said was, “Before you leave here tonight I want to show you the parsonage so you will know where you are going to live when you become our pastor.” I wasn’t even looking for a church. But when this little church with little hope approached me I earnestly sought God’s face. At the time, I believed it was God’s calling so I accepted the call.
How did it turn out? A lot of people got saved in a few short months, we did terrible and I didn’t last long. Looking back I have to ask myself whether it was God’s call or a desperate little church who couldn’t find anyone else so they pursued this inexperienced, unprepared Bible College student to be their pastor. I probably won’t know the answer to that until eternity.
So if you sometimes wonder if you have made the right choice and whether you were truly called to your church, once you are there it is a mute point. God is used to using pastors who misread the road signs and He has even blessed a lot of churches that pursued the wrong pastor. Because God is gracious, understands our humanity and loves the church He can and will bless us and the ministry we hold to. However, it is essential that you seek God with a heart of this manner, “Jesus, use me here to the best of my ability and to the best of your greatness. And please, for your honor and glory, bless this church that I serve at your good pleasure. And give me a love for these people greater than I have ever experienced before.”
You may have missed the church you were called to but that doesn’t mean you cannot do the ministry you were called to do. So, roll up your sleeves and get on your knees. Praying the blessing down can sometimes be hard work!
In His Delight,
Lyn Sahr
Prov. 3:13
