The most significant part of serving as a pastor is that I get to be there for the big moments in life. Many of those moments are filled with joy, like their grandchild's dedication, marriage, the blessing of their new home, or the promotion they have just received. But sometimes, I get the humbling honor of walking with people through difficult places like the end of life. The biggest regret I hear from folks is the potential wasted. The main difference between people who fulfill their purpose and those who don’t is discipline. “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.

Ministry requires the heart to serve others. . . and the heart to train people to serve others. In the Chapter Two, Zick states that “this idea of service is important for everyone, but even more so for someone called to ministry.” As a minister, you will never feel more like you are reflecting the heart of Jesus than when you serve–essentially taking the towel around your waist as He did, serving the people around you, and leading by example with a heart of servanthood.

As I was reading chapter three in the book, CALLED, I began to think about so many individuals in my life (community) who were a positive influence. Individuals who became close friends, mentors, and encouragers through the years. My mind went back to earlier days in the beginning stages of my calling/ministry when I needed a strong community of people in my life.

Some sought me out, while I gravitated to others. Of course, there were those divine moments when God orchestrated the connection and put someone in my life to help me with personal growth, as well as ministry, and spiritual growth.

Scripture encourages us to be intentional and to seek out strong and positive relationships with other people. A phrase that we often hear: “we are better together,” is perhaps based on scripture in Ecclesiastes, which states:

“A person standing alone can be attached and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken,” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT).

This scripture emphasizes if we are going to make it through life successfully and accomplish great things, we must be connected with a community of believers. I want to encourage you in your early stages of ministry to surround yourself with people who will help you fulfill God’s purpose. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you connect with the right people.

I read in CALLED-chapter 3 the following saying, “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” Jim Rohn, motivational speaker and author, wrote: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

The expectations that you set for yourself will determine the quality of your life. However, it is so important to surround yourself with individuals who are wise and expect more out of you. The friends, mentors, and encouragers that you hang out with, will influence the level of those expectations. What community of individuals are you surrounded by?

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble,” (Proverbs 13:20 NLT).

John Zick distinguishes between networking and community. Networking is often seen as manipulation to get to the top, by building relationships with titles and positions, and by using people to get what you need to move higher and faster. Community is more about building and investing in genuine and positive relationships that will impact our lives and others.

You are encouraged in chapter 3 to pursue key relationships that develop you, encourage you, and stretch you. Author, John Zick says: This can be accomplished by different types of relationships.

I want to share some highlights of this chapter concerning these different types of relationships:

Mentors and friends are there to invest in our development and to encourage us to move forward toward our full potential. However, building, developing, and growing one’s ministry is never a one-way street. Healthy growth happens when we are not only receiving encouragement, but giving and investing in others. Learning and growing cannot always be about us, we need to focus on someone else and their need. This helps us to develop a balanced life and ministry. We were never meant to be alone.

Some mentoring relationships are meant to last a lifetime, while others for only a season. New relationships will often bring a new season of growth, change, and development in your life and ministry. Let me encourage you to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and pray for God to help you connect and build positive relationships with the right people.

We all enjoy receiving a gift. But what if you were given more than one gift? Wouldn’t that be an amazing experience? Truth be told, God loves each one of us so much that he has given us multiple gifts. These gifts are not given so that we can boast about how talented and wonderful we are, but rather, they are given for the purpose of encouraging one another and reaching lost souls for Christ.

It's important to understand that God created everyone with unique and wonderful gifts. Your gifts may mirror another’s gifts or be completely different. The beauty of God’s creative work is that He intricately stitched His best gifts into the fabric of your life. In essence, you entered this life with God’s beautiful gifts already sewn into your being. Psalm 139:13-14 affirms this truth, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it” (NLT).

The fact that you entered life with God’s gifts does not mean that you are instantly aware of those gifts. You must be intentional in discovering those gifts. How is this done? Through a process of trial and error. One of the ways we determine if we like something, such as a particular food, is through the process of tasting. We take a small bite and begin to chew the food. Sometimes, we realize immediately that we do not like what we have tasted. At other times, we may have to chew the food until the flavors reach our taste buds and then make the determination.

Discovering your ministry gifts comes about in much the same manner. You may think you are good at singing because you sing in the shower. However, after auditioning for your school choir, you soon realize that you aren’t that good after all. Perhaps you go on to discover through trial and error that your best gifting is playing a particular instrument.   Discovering your gifts can be as simple as reflecting on your life and identifying the things that come naturally. What are those things you truly enjoy in life?  It could be sketching, painting, singing, playing an instrument, cheering people up, listening to and encouraging others, or perhaps you are naturally good at creating things with your hands. Whatever you discover that you absolutely love doing could be the very gift that God has placed inside of you. It's part of your DNA. I like to think that God’s DNA in our lives looks like this:

Human beings are frequently driven by emotions. Either positive or negative, emotions tend to reflect a passion toward a specific person or thing. It is important to understand that passions are not sinful, but rather, it is precisely the action that precedes that passion that could have implications. Mind and heart usually wrestle between what is logical and what is desirable. It comes down to the individual to identify and weigh both emotions prior to allowing either to take control of his or her actions.

Processes like this also happen in our Christian walk with Jesus. God places emotions in in the hearts of those who serve Him with an intention. These God-given emotions have the purpose of leading passions toward accomplishing the also God-given purpose in life. Even at times, it is through the gifts that an individual possesses one tries to pressure the outcome of his or her spiritual maturing process. Usually individuals seem to interchange purpose, gifts, and passion like similar terms. They do overlap in certain areas of the Christian life; however, they are different.

One’s God-given purpose in life is the reason for his or her creation in the first place. It is why one was born and it is directly proportionate to the legacy that should be left behind. Gifts were given in order to help accomplish the purpose in life. They facilitate the journey. Nevertheless, they are not the final goal. When gifts are misused outside of God’s will, lives lose meaning and sense of direction. There is where God establishes passions in His people. Two thousand years ago, a methodological conversation started about church and ministry. During centuries, methods have been discussed with the intention of better fulfilling the Great Commission. The message of the gospel has not changed, but God has raised men and women to speak reformation and act during a constant changing world. Passion is the capacity to see the gaps in the conversation and add value to it. It comes surrounded by strong emotions with the intention of leading one towards the direction God wants one to go.

Chapter 5 brings up the term “holy discontent.” Discontent is used to describe a lack of satisfaction, but holy is an attribute from God. Placing this adjective in front of a word such as discontent allows the reader to understand that it comes from God. Sometimes, God uses these types of emotions to take people out of places where they felt comfortable and focus on the passion God has developed in their lives.

Moses always felt compelled to help his people, the Hebrews. Even after running away from killing an Egyptian soldier to defend them, God used his passion to redirect him toward his purpose in life. It was that holy discontent–the one that kept him going back to the Pharaoh plague after plague. Similar to Moses, God used David’s passion to move him toward the battlefield and be the only man willing to fight Goliath. David’s gifts flowed during that time, facilitating his journey to accomplish his God-given purpose in life. He showed leadership, commitment, and faith in God on his way to later become king of Israel.
God uses a minister’s passion to show him the place in which He has created him to contribute and push His Kingdom further. Nevertheless, the minister must take care of his heart. Actions cannot be impulsive or oppressive. These are the characteristics of operating outside of God’s time or God’s interests. When placing one’s desires and/or aspirations first, one loses directionality and added value to the Kingdom.

New ministers must identify their passions, and let the Lord guide their lives toward the space they want to explore. They have been created with a purpose, and the Almighty is getting them uncomfortable. God might be talking to new minsters through strong emotions about where He wants to lead them in order to accomplish their purpose and more efficiently use their gifts. This is the time to analyze your passion and learn how to distinguish what could become a selfish obsession from what God wants to speak to you, accomplish in you, and through you.

Key Scripture: Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5 NLT).

This chapter is based on the knowledge that as followers of Christ, we should never feel settled in our achievements and in our walk with God. Achieving goals is not our destination. Each goal should be viewed through the lens that we are one step closer to fulfilling our purpose on earth.  One must remember there is always room for growth, and it is essential to continue to gain learning to keep moving forward. 

As leaders who desire to fulfill our calling of covering the earth with the love of Christ, we must strive to embrace change and commit to healthy growth.

Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” (NIV).   

There is always more to learn. We will never arrive in our knowledge and wisdom. Continue to study, read, listen to podcasts and sermons. Consider taking Bible courses to deepen your knowledge and understanding of His Word.

Stay humble and hungry to know more.   “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. (2 Peter 3:18 NIV).

It is so important to prioritize growing. John 15 refers to staying connected to Christ, the true vine. Through Him, there is always room to grow. Healthy growth is one that pushes toward a goal but does not become content when reaching that goal. A healthy leader learns to set a new goal. Stay connected to God, your true vine. Allow Him to prune you as necessary so you may continue to grow in a healthy manner.

What is your takeaway from this chapter? List three ways you will model a mindset to “never arrive” and continue down a path of intentional, healthy growth.