God calls everyone to salvation at one time or another. Many yield their lives to the Lord and follow Him. When we follow the Lord, we experience the joy of salvation. We want others to know God and experience His blessings. Then the question comes, what can I do? Is God calling me into full-time service for Him? How can I know that this is truly a call from God? How do I know what this call means for me and my walk of life? The Bible has much to say on this subject. Let us examine it with an open and submissive heart, accepting the truths contained there.
Let’s Talk About Work
In Genesis 2:15 we read that the “Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Even in the garden, God meant for man to work. After man sinned, He told Adam, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground” (Genesis 3:17-19). This made a profound difference in the lives of Adam and Eve. No longer was their sustenance provided for them with a minimum of labor. They would need to toil to the point of sweating in order to have sufficient to eat. They would have to contend with briars and thorns, and the quantity and quality of their food would depend a lot on how willing they were to labor. As a result of sin, man became subject to the rigors of earning his bread.
How was it in the early Church?
During the time of the Apostles, when Paul and Barnabas were called into God’s service, it was a call from the church. God had informed Paul during his conversion that He would send him to preach. However, Paul waited to engage in the full-time work of a missionary until called by the church. “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul [Paul] for the work whereunto I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Even then, he engaged in manual labor to support himself and those with him. “And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:3).
The Apostle Paul had a strong conviction about working. He taught by his own example, as the following verses teach. “And labour, working with our own hands” (1 Corinthians 4:12). “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10).
As Paul was making his way to Jerusalem, he called for the elders of the church to meet him. He told them, “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:33-35). We notice that instead of being served with the material things of life, he provided for his own needs and those with him.
A Supported Ministry
The New Testament gives examples of a supported ministry. The minister does not lay aside the responsibilities of earning a livelihood; rather, the church comes to his aid when the work of the kingdom hinders his livelihood. Many times the lay members will help the minister so that he can labor for God freely. “Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity” (Philippians 4:14-16).
There are some whom God calls to labor in the mission fields. When this call is sanctioned by the church, they are sent forth and the church provides their sustenance.
In Today’s World
Sometimes Satan tries to mislead us. If he cannot lead us into sin, he will try to confuse us and gradually lead us astray. He wants us to take our eyes away from our own spiritual needs. Many times the new Christian will feel a conviction to lead others when they themselves are but a child in Christ. They will feel like God is calling them to a special work. What does the Bible say about this?
The Apostle Paul, even though he had been well educated and called by God in a public and miraculous manner, yet went into Arabia for three years before going back to Damascus. Then he was driven out by the Jews, after which he went to Tarsus. Barnabas came to Tarsus to find him and brought him to Antioch where he labored for some time before he was called by the church. History tells us that he was converted in about 37A.D. and was sent out around 43A.D. A considerable amount of time had elapsed between the time he felt the call from God and the time when the church called him and sent him forth. Later he wrote to Timothy giving the requirements of a minister, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6). A Christian needs some time to get his feet planted on the Rock before he is qualified to lead others. While he has the responsibility to witness and to be faithful in all the Lord asks, he must be careful because Satan will try to distract him from becoming truly established.
Considering the deceptiveness of the heart, how can I know if my motives are pure? Is the thought of wearing nice clothes attractive to me? Having a nice house someday? Having people respect me? Not having to work hard? Having a steady income? The thrill I get from being special or having a position? Would it be nice to have influence? Is it a personal goal to be a full-time gospel worker?
Is trading the care of your fellowmen for money what God had in mind? What if someone who is one of your main supporters needed your admonition? What if he fell into sin and needed to be disciplined? What if another group offered you more money, a better house, a steady income? Do these temptations need to be a part of your life?
It is a great responsibility to be in any way responsible for the salvation of others. We should tremble before such a charge. Someone who really understands what it means will be very careful. He will allow others to help him prove his conviction. He will be faithful in the discharge of his duties and his daily walk of life. God will hold him responsible.
The Bible clearly teaches the responsibility each one has to provide for himself and his family. “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). Some would say that they are providing when they are a paid minister. Is that what the Bible means? Jesus’ own words, “But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep” (John 10:12-13). This is the difference between one who serves to be paid, and one who serves without expecting to be rewarded materially. Wouldn’t you rather serve God with a sacrificial service?
How will you council others who need help with taking their responsibilities? How will you sympathize with others when hunger threatens? How will you share their struggles from your heart if your own heart does not know those struggles?
Let us picture a young Christian who takes time to read and study his Bible. In quietness he witnesses for the Lord and lives a faithful life. There comes a day when the members of the church see their need for leadership and call him to minister to them. He feels unworthy of this call. He shares their struggles. He knows from the heart what they are talking about when they come to him with the burdens they carry. He is not above them because he is one of them. He shares their times of hunger and distress. He is not insulated from their calamities.
“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). As you do the work that God has for you, may you hear His blessed words some day, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant . . . enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21).