The Myth of Full-Time Ministry

Have you ever felt just a little disappointed that God failed to call you to serve Him as a missionary, pastor, or pastor's wife?  Have you ever felt like you were inferior to these "chosen" men and women of God.  I confess I have.  These spiritual giants have sometimes made me feel a bit insignificant in the kingdom of God.  Surely they must have special seats in Heaven right next to the throne.

But wait a minute, where is full-time ministry mentioned in the Bible?  Of course some are called to be pastors/elders and others are chosen to be deacons, but what about the rest of us?  Does God view as us as members of a lesser class, the "lay-people," since our salary doesn't come from a church or mission board?  Not at all.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Unfortunately, too many Christians have tried to elevate the status of those who are pastors/elders and missionaries.  I certainly believe men who hold a spiritual leadership position should be respected and their physical needs met through the giving of tithes and offerings by the church body.  But keep in mind that the Bible clearly teaches that we are called to serve the Lord in all that we do.  Yes, Christian plumbers, cops, nurses, stay-at-home moms were all commissioned into full-time service the moment they were converted.   We are called to share the Gospel and to use the spiritual gifts God has blessed us with to benefit our local church body.  There is no secular or sacred in God's kingdom; all we do is service for our King.


I found this paragraph from a Christianity Today article fascinating:

Greek words meaning "layperson" existed at the time the New Testament was written. But the writers chose not to use them. "Laikos," meant of the common people. And "idiotes" meant non-expert. But the New Testament uses neither term to describe believers. Instead, it calls us "laos Theou," the people of God. Every true Christian belongs to the "laos." But as the first century ended, one of the church fathers, Clement of Rome, began dividing the church into classes, calling the non-ministering members "laikos" (laity). Now, some twenty centuries later, the "laity" terms, firmly embedded in our religious language, shape the way we think.

I may not receive a salary from a church or mission board, but I have a Boss who is keeping track of my time sheet.  Right now He is monitoring my activity to make sure I'm truly giving Him my best.  You see, I've been in full-time Christian ministry since I was seven years old.

What about you?  Has God called you to serve Him in some thankless mundane job?  He is not ignoring your service.  He knows your frustrations.  Do not be ashamed of your full-time calling. 

" For he that is least among you all, the same is great." Luke 9:48b

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Faith: Living Upon Things Unseen

Too often I'm irritated by the minor inconveniences:  the creaking floors, the messy diapers, the distance to the nearest mall, days that are humid and stifling, and the constant interruptions by little Abby.  In the midst of it, I wonder: When when all of this end?  When can I rest?  When can I feel I'm finally home?

And of course you know the answer as found in Hebrews 4:9-11.  We will rest when our work is completed.  Not here, but in the presence of God.  We're sojourners traveling to a Holy City, whose "whose builder and maker is God."   What I am given today is my ministry.  I must realize this, accept it and embrace it as such. 

Horatius Bonar in his book, Night of Weeping and Morning of Joy, says:

Shall the disquieting bustle of this restless life annoy us? Faith tells us of the rest that remaineth for the people of God—the sea of glass like unto crystal on which the ransomed saints shall stand—no tempest, no tumult, no shipwreck there. Shall the lack of this world’s honors move us? Faith tells us of the exceeding and eternal weight of glory in reserve. Have we no place to lay our head? Faith tells us that we have a home, though not in Caesar’s house, a dwelling, though not in any city of earth. Are we fearful as we look around upon the disorder and wretchedness of this misgoverned earth? Faith tells us that the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Do thoughts of death alarm us? Faith tells us that “to die is gain,” and whispers to us, “What, are you afraid of becoming immortal, afraid of passing from this state of death, which men call life, to that which alone truly deserves the name!”