I discovered that I had some gifting in public ministry. This was confirmed by the people whom I served. Theologians refer to this dynamic as the “external” call, that is, the confirmation by others that this might be what the Lord has in store. Of course, the consummation of the external call is the confirmation to office in the church through ordination. This is the recognition by an ecclesial body of your gifts and calling represented by ordination.

Several years ago, our congregation had the tragic experience of suddenly losing a dear 13-year-old teenage girl to a previously undiagnosed heart issue. She was running with some friends and collapsed to the ground. The doctors were not able to save her. This was a real jolt to her family, of course, but also to our entire church family. The fact that this occurred two days before Christmas added to the trauma of the event. Lacey’s funeral was three days after Christmas. The church was filled with hundreds of hurting family members, friends, fellow students, schoolteachers, and administrators. As I stood before this gathering of bereaved souls, I was somewhat stressed, as I knew that they were all expecting a word of comfort and perhaps even an answer to the “Why?” question. What strengthened me to step up confidently to the platform and lead the service? It was remembering that the Lord called me to be the shepherd of this flock and that he promised to give me everything that I needed to fulfill that calling. God’s grace enabled me to lead that congregation through a meaningful time of worship and comfort.

I believe that forgetting the importance of God’s initiative in calling us to be leaders can be a serious mistake. The result can be discouragement, feelings of inadequacy, and even thoughts of giving up the ministry. It’s not just crisis points that can weigh us down but also the ongoing daily burdens of working with people plus teaching and preaching preparations.

The Divine Call

When we, as leaders, consider the motivation to carry out our pastoral duties, we must remember that he called us to serve in this office. When Paul reunited with his beloved Ephesian elders in Miletus, he reminded them to “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, emphasis added). The remarkable privilege and responsibility of caring for the flock was not something that they took upon themselves because they thought it was a good idea.

No, the Holy Spirit “made” them overseers. It was the call of the Good Shepherd through the Spirit that brought them to this place of service. In the same way, remember that you did not become a leader in the church because you thought it was a good idea or some other earthbound motive. You became a leader because you responded to the call of the risen Lord. Let’s take a look at the elements of the divine call to serve.

The Call to Faith

The foundational call for every Christian is the call to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul reminded the Corinthians that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Similarly, he told the Thessalonians, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Through the work of the Holy Spirit in your heart, you responded in faith to the gospel call. Sometime following your conversion there was a call to serve in church leadership.

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