Daily Devotional

A question pastors often get asked is “When did you receive your call to ministry?” Even though all Christians are called to ministry, I knew what the person was asking.

I sensed God calling me to vocational pastoral ministry when I was a junior in high school. I was serving in the children's ministry, helping with junior high, and singing in the choir. The pastors overseeing these ministries trained me. And this training was tough. When I made mistakes, they were pointed out and corrected. When I didn’t work hard enough, I was told to work harder. And if at any point in this journey they felt I wasn’t cut-out for ministry, they would’ve removed me immediately.

My calling came from God, but was affirmed again and again by the seasoned-Pastors overseeing me in ministry. And as they cared for me and corrected me along the way, I was teachable. Sure, there were disappointments. I remember wanting to teach the Bible to a group of kids at VBS. The Pastor said, “Brian you’re just not ready.” And he asked a friend of mine to do it instead. Sure it hurt, but I took that as God’s leading in my life, studied harder, and looked for other opportunities to teach, so I could grow and improve.

God brings wise counselors, leaders and even Christian friends into our lives to prayerfully offer wisdom. A great way to confirm God’s direction after you’ve spent time in prayer and Bible study is to seek wise counsel.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.”

Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

If you take some time to study the book of Proverbs you’ll see that exhortation again and again. You are encouraged to listen to counsel, look for advice, and surround yourself with many counselors. Because, in reality, we cannot trust ourselves, we can only trust God. And God loves to use others in our lives to help us see things we can’t see. When we seek counsel, it has to be from someone who has a God-centered view of the world.

A prayer you can pray… Oh God, right now, I ask You to make me wise. Help me to not only seek wise counsel, but listen to it. I know that You alone know what is best, but help me to surround myself with God-centered people who know me, love me, want what’s best for me, and will not only tell me what I WANT to hear…but what I NEED to hear. And even though that’s hard to take sometimes, help me to listen and heed that advice as from You.
AMEN.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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