Over the last few years I have been doing a lot of thinking, praying and reading about both church ministry and vocational ministry.
Most of my adult life has been spent participating in different ministries within the church walls while still working throughout the week in my chosen vocation. Truth be told, my work week never felt quite as significant as my within-the-church work.
In working through the issue of what I had come to accept was most important in regard to my effort and time; I have discovered that I am experiencing a paradigm switch—please hear me out.
God has given each of us different skills and talents, that’s undeniable. Being gifted with a skill set that benefits the world in ways that appear to have nothing to do with church ministry is where I kept getting tripped up. In my erroneous thinking, I had believed that church ministry was more important than vocation.
Church ministry is not more important than our vocations and here’s why—they are both ministry. We are called to reach the lost, to be a light in the darkness, to use the talents we have been given and to love as Jesus loved.
In working through this concept over the past months I have noticed an end to the restlessness I had thought was simply a part of my DNA. I have also been more clearly able to see my own humanity in working through why I had ever thought church ministry should supersede vocational ministry in the first place: being involved in church ministry somehow made me FEEL important. That’s a big difference from believing church ministry to BE more important.
How far the heart can stray from the heart of the One who led a life of selfless humility.
Turns out working through my own personal church issues has become a very long but necessary road. What felt like personal failure within the walls of the church has turned out to be a gift from God. Being stripped of church importance and learning about humility may be the best thing that has ever happened to this writer.
I am beginning to enjoy being a part of a church again. Not because of anything I have to offer but because I am a part of the family of God. Maybe if I started treating my fellow church attenders with the same unmerited grace and love God has shown to me over the years, my idea of church ministry would be more in sync with Jesus' idea of ministry: serving unselfishly from a humble heart of love.
In regard to vocational ministry, I am finding genuine pleasure throughout the week in serving my clients as a true act of worship to God. There is no spot light, no glamour and no audience. Well, except for my audience of One. And I have to say, I think He’s ok with my paradigm switch.
Stay the Course…
Sheila
