I recently heard a quote by a well-respected United Methodist pastor that I found both beautiful and convicting. This pastor was well-known for saying the following to members of his congregation whenever someone would approach him about a ministry or mission idea:
“God didn’t wake you up in the middle of the night to burden me with that ministry.”
Pastors are notoriously terrible at saying “no” to parishioners, especially when it comes to a new ministry or mission opportunity; in fact, being unable to say “no” just might be an unwritten prerequisite for being a pastor. The problem most pastors run into after saying “yes,” though, is that it then somehow becomes their responsibility to follow through with the new idea instead of equipping and empowering the person who originally had the idea to carry it out themself. The pastor saying “yes” to ideas is not the biggest issue; the primary issue lies in the things that interfere with our belief that we can act on the things that God puts on our hearts.
Things that have interfered with my belief that I could carry out a call that God placed on my heart include: lack of confidence in myself (and God), thinking that God chose the wrong person for the job; fear that I would fail; feeling that I was alone in the work that God called me to do; impatience with God for not providing me the resources up front to be able to follow through with the work. But here’s the deal… God didn’t wake me up in the middle of the night to burden someone else with carrying out the ministries that God has called me to.
As I have done my best to be faithful to God’s calls on my life, I have discovered that it’s okay to not have all the tools up front, because God is always faithful in providing what I need at just the right time. I have discovered that it’s okay to fail sometimes, because I have been able to learn and grow from those moments. I have discovered that I am not alone in any work that God has called me to do, because God doesn’t ask us to be in ministry alone; you’d be surprised how many people around you have the same passions once you’re brave enough to voice them.
So I ask you now - what tugs on your heartstrings? What has God been whispering in your ear that you’ve been too afraid to acknowledge? God hasn’t chosen the wrong person for the job, stumbling along the way is just part of the journey, and God will draw you to the right things and people at just the right time. Please do talk to a pastor about what God has placed on your heart, but remember that God put the call on your heart for a reason. You are called, and you can make it happen!
Written By: Jenny Spidell