Monday, as I was working, I began to simply talk to God. I was asking him to give me an opportunity in ministry. For some time now, my family and I have been waiting for God to open the door to a full-time ( or even a part-time) ministry.
Now, I'm not sure if the thought that entered my head next was from God or my own imagination. The thought was this. "I called you to ministry, not necessarily to an occupation." WHAM! WHACK! OUCH!
I remember back a few years, when I first answered God's call. I remember telling a group of married couples that I didn't know if I would ever make a dime from the ministry that God has planned for me. My gift is in a ministry area that most churches cannot afford and simply cannot budget for. I was immediately met with comments, such as, "I bet your wife hopes so", "you had better make some money to pay back your school loans" and "if your not going to make any money, why are you doing it?."
Funny thing is, I was OK with the possibility that I might not make any money and would be required to work a job to support my family in addition to ministering. But, somewhere along the line, I developed this notion that being a full-time minister, pastor, or in my case, a pastoral counselor required pay.
Perhaps, I'd be better off reclaiming my initial mindset (I know my blood pressure would probably go down) of expecting to be in servant ministry. God knows!
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