Reasons Not To Be A Minister

I met a girl on ThanksMas that was looking to move down here from Boston. She liked the area and was pursuing a career with Young Life. Apparently there are more positions available locally than up North. After further conversation she admitted the following:

…Well, I dropped out of college… I tried the whole job thing and I didn’t like it — so I decided I’m going into full time ministry… Yeah. Ok, I understand not everyone sees the problem — people seem to be commonly blinded by religious commitment and miss the motives. Not liking work is not a “calling” to ministry. There’s a reason it’s called “work” and not “fun” or “play time”. Don’t like your job? Get a new one. Don’t like your options? Get additional training or education.Now don’t get me wrong… I don’t have anything against a calling for ministry in general or Young Life in particular. But a calling is more than avoiding pain, responsibility or effort. Personally, I believe everyone is “called” to something — some vision, some milestone, some purpose. Your calling may have a spiritual aspect, but I view a “calling” more holistically. What makes you tick on the inside, your passion in life will effect more in your life than just your job or your spiritual walk. It will affect every aspect of your life.

Don’t know your calling? I recommend 48 Days To The Work You Love. While this is a work focused book, it approaches it in such a way as to discover your gifts and passion and move you towards things that use them in the real world. So while it is task driven, your task may end up be feeding the homeless in Nigeria… or clearing mine fields in the Balkans… or even becoming the music minister at your church. BUT more importantly than the tasks it helps you find, is the clear sense of purpose you can discover while ferreting out said tasks.