The Call of Grace
by Shaun Brooks, D.Min.
It has been said that a call to pastoral ministry is one of the highest callings, as we engage in the task of pointing others to Christ. Depending on how you started the journey, the chances are you came to school for your undergraduate or graduate studies and saw individuals thriving with the gifts God blessed them with.
As you continued your training, you likely met peers who excelled at Greek and Hebrew while others showed advanced aptitude for courses such as systematic theology and homiletics. Some were very congenial with a likable persona, while others knew exactly what they would do in ministry, as if they had the gift of prophecy. These comparisons may have provoked feelings of self-doubt. Naturally, you may have questioned: Why didn’t God give me those abilities? What is wrong with my personality? Why can’t I motivate or preach as well as my friends? These questions may follow you into your ministry settings where you meet even more individuals excelling in their work. As the demands of ministry settle in, it is common to question one’s effectiveness as well as God’s calling in their ministry.
Regarding the temptation to envy the gifts of others, the Bible offers a profound perspective through the life of Moses. God could have chosen others who were more eloquent to confront Pharoah and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He could have chosen someone who was already a prolific author or a world-class extemporaneous orator, but He chose Moses. Had this been a popularity contest Moses would have lost, as several prominent leaders tried to usurp his authority. Yet, God chose Moses. God could have chosen Moses when things were financially secure for him in Egypt. Rather, He called him when he was a humble shepherd.
God could have chosen Aaron over Moses, but God already knew, that when faced with severe pressure, Aaron would have capitulated. God was also aware of the pride and prejudice of the other leaders, and the course their influence would have had on the Israelites. Therefore, He chose Moses. Although Moses was unaware of this at the time, he was uniquely equipped to empathize with and lead the Israelites due to his own experiences of hardship and humiliation. God’s choice of Moses was both providential and sovereign; as history bears record of the wisdom surrounding it. Moses questioned God’s choice over and over, but God reaffirmed it repeatedly.
In your ministry, it is crucial to remember that God has called you for reasons that might include aspects you find challenging about yourself. Things such as your height, your voice, your weight, your career, your school, your background, your friends, you name it. What you might consider a limitation is an opportunity for God’s grace to be manifest. Everything about you is intended to demonstrate the grace, power, and wisdom of God. God called you precisely for these reasons.
Instead of coveting how others do their work, it is wiser to appreciate how God is using them and to embrace and celebrate with gratitude the way God is using you. You are unique and one of a kind; there is no one else like you in all the world. Your individual touch in ministry is a testament to God’s design, foresight, and purpose in the plan of salvation. Instead of comparing yourself to others, why not celebrate what God is doing in and through you?
Dr. Shaun Brooks serves as Disabilities Ministries Coordinator for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference.
