1 Timothy 1:1-2 New International Version (NIV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 To Timothy my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul’s View of Ministry:
We can notice a few things within the beginning letters of Paul towards Timothy regarding his philosophy of ministry. We can see that in verse 1 the word command indicates that this is not something Paul decided to do one day. This was a calling that God has chosen him to be apart of. Let’s not forget that Paul was persecuting Christians and Jesus decided to redirect his life for the sake of the gospel. (Acts 9:1-19) This should relate to us as ministers of the gospel. That this was not something that we decided to do one day and thought it would be a great idea. This is something God has called us to do, commanded us to do, which gives us the desire to do it.
To figure out whether we are called by God to minister in whichever area we must recognize if there must be a command to do it. Do you have a deep feeling that this is something you must do? Do you know and know and know and know that this is 100 percent what God has called to pursue? If you are called into the ministry then you are obligated to do the work of the ministry. Whichever path is presented will come when you commit yourself by reading the Word, prayer, and fasting.
Why do we need this validation from God?
We need to know this is from God because ministry is not as easy as it seems, nor it is as amazing as you would imagine. Let me break your bubble for a minute… I remember my calling by in high school and my goal was to become an intern at my church, during this time frame the church faced division and there was no internship after that. Afterward, I stayed persistent to serve and somehow if i would get to be in full-time ministry throughout those years. While God hasn’t made provision for that yet I believe that I need to go back to my specific first step and be apart of an internship or be trained under someone. Throughout serving the ministry there will be hard times and it is those hard times that God’s calling must guide us to stay committed to the cause. Paul did not have an easy journey throughout his ministry and we can expect struggles and challenges that will test our calling. I’ve struggled, wanted to quit, and simply believe that I’m not good enough but God… reminded me of my calling. This is the obligation that Paul was sensing while talking to Timothy.
Don’t forget your calling:
There are many people who quit the ministry simply because of the intensive expectations placed on them by people, the workload of establishing the church, and fighting against temptations. We must be reminded that God is equipping and preparing you daily if you allow Him to. If God has called you then he had all the pieces together to accomplish the tasks. We are created to do good works that God already planned for in advance. (Ephesians 2:10) Don’t forget that when we get tired and weary that Jesus is willing to help with our burdens. (Matthew 11:28-29) Lastly, Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
My Faith Journey 