Were It Not for the Call
How Not to Get Lost in Your Ministry
By Wayne J. Edwards

Twice in my ministry, God called me to leave the church where I was serving as pastor without knowing where my next assignment would be.

Practically, this is not the most enjoyable thing to do, because of the pressures upon the marriage, family, and finances. I certainly would not suggest this as an example for anyone else to follow.

For me, once I knew my work at that church was through and I knew what God had called me to do, to have disobeyed that calling would have been to question God’s sovereignty over my life and to cast doubt over the motives of my own personal calling. Was it to a job, or to a church, or was it unto the Lord?

God may want some pastors to stay right where they are for a variety of reasons. Perhaps He is trying to refine some areas of ministry in their life, or in the life of the church they are serving, and He is using the problems they are going through as His ways of doing that. To abandon that call too quickly could negate the very expression of God’s grace both the pastor and the church need to see in order to verify His perfect will for their future.

If the pastor leaves too early, God has to teach him that same lesson in his next church, or God may have to teach the church that lesson through their next leader. I believe God has His servants and His churches in the “school of obedience”. We are not all at the same grade level, but we are all learning to trust and obey.

However, there may be times when such a bold step of faith is within God’s will for some of His servants. Perhaps God wants them to retreat from the front lines of service to rest for awhile; to replenish their own spiritual buckets, to revive their own love for the Lord, to rethink their methods, their message, or even their motives of ministry. Perhaps God wants to redirect their ministry into other areas, or to even allow them to resign from the ministry for a season, or altogether, if the pressures have taken their toll on their own physical, mental or spiritual health, or on their family. There is certainly no shame in working at a regular job and serving the Lord as a layman.

So, the goal of this article is not to suggest that you leave a troubled pastorate because you are going through difficult times, or to encourage you to “tough it out” at all costs as a testimony of your faith and trust in the Lord. My purpose is to admonish you to allow the Lord to use your present circumstances to help you review and renew your personal calling unto the Lord. Regardless of which decision you make, whether it is to stay in the battle and defend your position or give up the fight and search for another assignment, sometimes that calling is all you have left. Let me explain.

My Story

It had been nine months since I had left my last pastorate, and I was well into the search for my next assignment. I had mailed countless résumés, followed up on all inquiries, and pursued every avenue available, all to no avail. While there were churches I probably “could” have taken, if they had extended the call, the Lord never convinced me that I “should” take them, even if they had called. In some cases, I felt like I was applying for a job rather than a place of ministry in which to serve.

At first I thought my age (58) was my greatest hindrance for consideration by a committee, and no doubt it did eliminate me from many of the open pulpits, as did my conservative theology. Perhaps the search committees saw my abrupt departure from my former church as an indication of personal problems instead of a personal decision. Truthfully, I had heard it could take 18 months or more to make a good transition in the ministry, but I did not want to believe that. I had to believe that the Lord of the harvest knew exactly where I needed to serve, and I just had to wait upon Him.  

Although I should not have been surprised (because it was the same way in my first trial of faith) other than those I had asked for help and advice, not one pastor called with a word of encouragement, to ask if we were alright, or just to say that they were praying for us.

At times it was as though the “heavens were as iron” as my prayers seemed to be echoing from the ceilings, and the “earth was as brass” as my pleas for help seemed to be unheard by human ears. As David said in Psalm 73, “My feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped… Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long, and chastened every morning.”

I knew exactly what David was talking about and how he felt. I began to wonder if I had misread God’s call. Had the marvelous manifestations of the Spirit of God I had experienced over the last thirty years been unreal? Had I been deceived into believing that God had called me to Himself? And if so, had He abandoned me for some reason, or put me on the shelf for something I had done, or had not done? All of these thoughts were going through my mind day after day, and night after night.

 Even though there were days it seemed fruitless, I disciplined myself to read several portions of the Bible every morning, along with My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, and to have my time of prayer with God. I wrote down and confessed every sin that God would bring to my mind during those readings. As far as I knew, I was as clean before the Lord as any saved sinner could be. As far as it was up to me, I was at peace with all men; I had no grudges or even hard feelings against anyone, regardless of how their actions had hurt me, or my wife. And as far as we knew our own hearts, my wife and I had agreed we would go and serve wherever the Lord would lead us, yet I still had no clear direction from the Lord. 

Nothing but the Call

One day I called a dear friend to ask his advice regarding a particular church that was considering me. After he answered my question, he asked how things were going, and I told him of my dilemma. But rather than humoring me or trying to soothe my hurting heart with a litany of pious phrases and trite sentiments, he said, “Wayne, sometimes all you have left is the call!”

This was a Proverbs 25:11 moment for me—“a word fitly spoken”—because, at that moment, “the call” was all I had left. And had it not been for that “call” upon my life, I probably would have quit the ministry. In fact, I had already applied for work with several Christian organizations, and to some commercial businesses and companies. But each time I considered those options, the Holy Spirit would prompt me to remember my calling and to simply trust in the Lord.

This may be unique to me, but when I began to picture myself in those other positions, I would get this deep-sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that reminded me of how I felt, as a child, when I was about to disobey my earthly father. I felt the same feeling, only worse, because I felt that I was about to disobey my Heavenly Father.

Perhaps this is what Jeremiah was feeling when he was being persecuted for his prophecy against Judah. In Jeremiah 20:7-18, the prophet complained to God about his circumstances; how he felt deceived, even by the Lord and derided by the people. “I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me…for me the word of the Lord has resulted in reproach and derision all day long” (vv. 7-8).  But, Jeremiah said, the moment he thought about disobeying the Lord or not speaking anymore in His name, “then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones…and I can’t endure it” (v. 9,).  That is the kind of call from God that cannot be denied.

I had told myself that I was going through this “fiery ordeal” with my head held high and my faith strong, confident that God would open a place for me to serve in His way and in His time. The truth was, not only did I feel forsaken by the Lord and forgotten by my friends, but as David said in Psalm 73:3, “I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” I wondered why God would allow the false prophets to speak and a faithful servant to be shut up? Why would He allow the market-driven ministers to profit and the Spirit-led ministers to perish?

Not Alone

As is often the case in our walk with the Lord, it was in that darkest moment that a flicker of God’s pure light of love brought hope to my weary soul. No, it wasn’t a letter from a church expressing interest, which would have been nice, or a phone call from a friend expressing concern, which would have been a real blessing. It was the absolute assurance of God’s calling upon my life as I returned, once again, to the only source of hope and strength, God’s holy Word.

I was sitting in a parking lot of a local church one Sunday morning, waiting for the chiming of the bells, when my friend’s words came to my mind again: “Wayne, sometimes all you have left is the call!” I began to think about God’s call upon the lives of other men in the Bible, especially those who were called to proclaim God’s word, and the suffering they endured as a result of their obedience to that call. And the examples began to flood my mind.

Noah—Persistent but Unappreciated

Noah, who could perhaps be called the first preacher in the Bible, proclaimed God’s Word for 120 years while he and his family built an ark, in obedience to God’s call. But not only did the people disregard his message, they discounted him as a man who had lost his mind. The Bible says, as a result of Noah’s preaching, “[only] eight persons were brought safely through the water” (1 Peter 3:20).

Noah is representative of those pastors who have preached their heart out for years without seeing much fruit for their labor. Perhaps they are serving in rural areas where the population is sparse, or in highly populated areas where there is little respect for God’s Word. I’m sure there were days when Noah thought about “hanging it up” because no one cared about what he was saying, much less about what he was doing. And, had it not been for the call of God upon his life, he probably would have.

Abraham—Faith before Family

Abraham was called of God to leave his father and family and become the father of many nations. He was also called to take his only son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice on the altar, as an evidence of his unquestionable obedience to God.

Abraham illustrates those pastors who have forsaken their family in their desire to follow God. Many pastors lose track of their family heritage. They rarely, if ever, get to attend their family reunions, because the majority of them are on Sunday. Some of them aren’t able to help take care of their aging parents, and neither were their parents able to be a part of their grandchildren’s lives. Others have buried their children on the field of service because they could not obtain adequate medical care. Sometimes the sacrifice is more than they bargained for.

Of course, we know that as Abraham brought that knife down upon Isaac, God provided the substitute and he was spared. But I can imagine that, as the two of them were walking up that mountain, the thought ran through Abraham’s mind to disobey God and save his son. And, had it not been for the call upon his life, he probably would have.

Moses—Trying to Hold it Together

Moses was called of God to deliver the Hebrews from their bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land. Even though God made it clear to His people, in miraculous ways, that Moses was the man He had chosen to lead His people, and He confirmed that call many times, they still rebelled against Moses, and therefore against God.

Moses is a picture of those pastors who serve very large congregations. Having been on staff with several of these pastors over the years, I have seen the heartache and frustration these men go through at times just to keep unity and harmony in the fellowship. And no matter how much they accomplished, it seemed it was never enough; there was always something left undone, or someone who was overlooked.

I’m sure there were days when Moses would have rather been on the backside of the desert tending the sheep than serving as the leader of such obstinate people. And, had it not been for God’s call upon his life, he probably would have.

Jeremiah—Preaching to Deaf Ears

We have already mentioned Jeremiah’s commitment to his calling. God told him to preach whatever He revealed to him, without question, and to even act out some of his sermons before the people. He also told him that the people would not listen; that they would cover their ears as they walked by him, and they did.

Jeremiah represents all those pastors who are preaching to those who are deaf; not because they cannot hear, but because they will not hear. Each Saturday night, they pour their hearts out before God in prayer for their people; that God would open their ears and let them hear the Word of truth. And, each Sunday, they preach their hearts out, hoping against hope that this would be the day when the Holy Spirit would break through and they could see a great revival in their church.

Jeremiah also represents all of the prophets, in that they could have saved themselves from a lot of personal suffering and persecution if they had just thrown up their hands and quit. And, had it not been for the call upon their lives, they probably would have.

John the Baptist—“Second Fiddle”

God called John the Baptist to live in anonymity and to preach in the wilderness as he prepared the way for the coming of the Lord. John is quoted as having said, “I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him…He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:28-30). In so doing, John modeled the life of an associate pastor, or of those staff members whose work must be in support of the pastor. But while John’s Superior was careful to give him all the recognition he deserved (Luke 7:28), not all pastors are willing to even express their thanks to their staff members for a job well done.

John’s ministry also exemplified those pastors who are called to serve a church for a brief time; perhaps to help the congregation settle a disturbing issue, or overcome a difficult problem. Such is the wonderful ministry of the friend who inspired this article. Because of his other ministry obligations, he can serve a church only as an interim pastor. In that capacity, he is the one who prepares the way for the coming of the new pastor. He is the one God uses to settle their disputes, get their minds off of their past, and prepares their hearts for the man God will send to take his place.

As John waited and prayed in that prison cell, I’m sure he thought about the brevity of his ministry, and, given the controversy stirred up against him, he probably wondered if he had done exactly what God had called him to do. On that morning they came to take him to be beheaded, John may have wished he had stayed in the wilderness and toned down his messages of man’s need for repentance. And, had it not been for the call upon his life, he probably would have.

Paul—Unrequited Passion

In Acts 26:19, the Apostle Paul told King Agrippa that he had not been “disobedient to the heavenly vision” he had received on the road to Damascus, but rather he had “kept declaring…. that [everyone] should repent and turn to God.” Read the letters he wrote to the churches he started and you will see what that obedience cost him (see 2 Cor. 6:4-10).

Paul gives us an example of the pastors with the gifts of prophecy and evangelism; men with great ambition; the church planters who are often misunderstood because of their single passion and zeal to see men come to Christ. Like Paul, many of these men often serve short tenures in a local church, and then they are called to another field. Sadly, many of them are outright fired by their congregation because their enthusiasm for the work of God threatens the apathy of the church leaders. So, to get rid of the conviction, they either run the pastor off, or make it so difficult for him to work that he has to leave.

Paul never gave any indication that he was sorry that he had answered the call of God. In fact, he said, if there was something about the Lord Jesus that he could learn solely through the “fellowship of His sufferings,” then he desired it to happen. But no man could have endured what he did, were it not for the call of God upon his life.

John the Apostle—Fading Away

While the Apostle John had the wonderful privilege of being the nearest to the Lord Jesus, even leaning upon His breast at the Last Supper, he also was called to endure the severe loneliness of being exiled on the Isle of Patmos until he died. All John had to keep him going during those days were the precious memories of his life with Christ and the wonderful things they had done during those fast and furious three years. There would be no more pulpits for John; no more intimate conversations with Jesus; no more healing of the sick or raising folks from the dead. John’s ministry days were over. All that was left for him to do was write his memoirs.

John portrays the thousands of pastors who are either retired from the ministry, or just plain tired in the ministry, and feel they are of no value or use anymore. While some of the more famous preachers can step back from the front lines of the pastorate and, because of their prominence, continue to get calls to speak and preach, the majority of retired pastors simply fade away into obscurity and are never heard of again, much less called to serve on a committee, or to speak at some event, or just to lead in prayer at their home church. Because of their financial situation, many of them are forced to live in low-rent housing or denominational retirement centers, and survive off of their social security income. There is no doubt that at times, when they feel like life has passed them by, they wonder what it might have been like, had they not answered that call of God.

Jesus Christ—God before Self

The final example that God brought to my mind that day was Jesus, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).

We know of the suffering and ridicule He received from the very ones He came to save, as well as the ostracizing and shunning He received from those religious leaders who should have not only recognized Him and received Him, but who should have been prepared to worship Him and give Him the glory due His holy name.

But it was on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before He was arrested, that Luke said Jesus, “withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:41-42). I believe even our Lord was saying unto the Father, were it not for the call upon His life, He would have avoided the pain and suffering on the cross. In fact, Luke said Jesus was in such agony of spirit that an angel from heaven was sent to give Him strength (v. 43).

So, as we can see, God’s call upon our lives includes physical, mental and emotional suffering, separation, persecution, loneliness, often imprisonment, and sometimes even death. God may call some of us to “suffer hardship...as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:3). And no matter how strong of faith we think we are, there are going to be times when we are going to want to give up, give out, or just give in, because the cost is too high and the sacrifice is too great. But as you are considering the cost of obedience, you must also consider the cost of disobedience.

Had Jesus turned his back upon God’s call, we would still be lost in our sins, needing a Savior and our work would be for naught (1 Cor. 15:12-16). But if any of the other men had failed to respond to God’s call in absolute obedience, I believe God would have raised up another to carry out their work, and they would have forfeited their crown of righteousness that awaits all those who faithfully serve the Lord (2 Tim. 4:8).

Conclusion

Dear fellow pastor, whether you are hanging on for dear life in a hurting ministry, or whether you are hanging your head, waiting for God to give you your next assignment, don’t lose heart and don’t lose hope. God has promised He will never leave you nor forsake you (Matt. 28:20). And regardless of how tough the circumstances may be, nothing can ever separate you from His love (Rom.8:31-39). 

I urge you to find a garden spot; agonize in prayer before God the Father, as our Lord Jesus did. And after you have prayed, yield yourself afresh and anew unto Him to do with as He wills. The “things” of your situation may not change, but perhaps God will send you a “ministering angel” to help you, or maybe God will prompt you to be that angel to a minister friend.

Sometimes, all we have left is the call of God! But once we are sure of our calling, we must rest in that assurance, and wait upon God’s timing. The Apostle Peter admonished us, let us “humble [ourselves] therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt [us] at the proper time, casting all [our] anxiety upon Him, because He cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Wayne J. Edwards is a pastor who lives near Toccoa, Georgia. He is the founder of Mature Ministries,
a revival ministry, encouraging God’s people to raise the standard of righteousness in their personal lives
and in the church. He is the author of several books, including Raising the Standard: One Pastor’s Call for
a Return of Righteousness to the Church.

Pulpit Helps Magazine, a ministry of AMG International, is the pastor’s one-stop-shop for tools to effectively serve a congregation. Founded in 1975 by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, Pulpit Helps is dedicated to the mission of equipping our readers with a greater understanding of the words of Scripture so that they can adequately fulfill their calling as Christ’s ambassadors. It is to that end that we provide sermon starters, bulletin inserts, illustrations and quality articles on preaching, counseling, Christian living, and more.