Overcoming What Will Kill Your Calling

Whether you know it or not, if you’re a follower of Jesus, you are called to ministry! Bold statement, huh?

Well, let’s read 2 Corinthians 5:18 “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”

There it is! You are called to ministry. Now I don’t mean everyone who follows Jesus is supposed to work at a church or a non-profit ministry. You see, your PROFESSION is what you’re PAID to do; your CALLING is what you’re MADE to do. So no, not everyone is called to work at a church, but everyone is called to ministry!

Luke 19:10 says that Jesus came “to seek and save that which is lost”. And in John 17:18, Jesus explains that just as He was sent into the world, so His followers are sent as well. You could say it this way– what Jesus came to do, you and I are to continue to do. But many of us excuse ourselves from ministry because we mistakenly believe pastors do all the ministry, and the rest of us just watch them. But this couldn’t be further from the truth! Let me say it again: You are called to ministry!

Satan absolutely hates the ministry that God has given you. And he will do everything in his power to kill the calling on your life. While my list isn’t exhaustive, I’ve found a few things the enemy will use to try and kill your calling.

#1 Insecurity

Have you ever tried to run on the beach? It’s significantly more difficult! Sure, you can still move forward, but not nearly as fast, and it takes a lot more effort. You’re almost expecting to get hurt and twist your ankle. The same is true when you’re trying to fulfill the ministry God has for you while you struggle with insecurity. You’re just waiting for something bad to happen, someone to reject you, and failure seems inevitable. Insecurity is anything you believe about yourself that God disagrees with.

I don’t know your story, nor do I know why you might struggle with insecurity. But I do know how to fix it. You overcome your insecurities by hearing God’s voice. His voice is the solid ground your calling is built on. God speaks through His word, His spirit, and His people. If you’re going to overcome your insecurities, you need a regular relationship with the Bible, prayer, and church. Your insecurities won’t be fixed in a moment, but the more you hear God’s voice, the more secure the foundation your calling is built on.

#2 Fear

Fear will kill your calling because it causes two main responses: inaction or overaction. Fear gets you to back down and do nothing. You either freeze and can’t move forward, or you’re afraid and obsessively control and overwork. What I know about fear is this– the foundation of every fear is a lie. Fear PROPHESIES what COULD happen as if it’s GUARANTEED to happen. That’s why we need to know the truth! John 8:32 (ESV) “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If believing the truth sets you free, then believing a lie keeps you bound.

Overcoming fear may be more of a spiritual battle than you realize. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Fear is the opposite of power because it makes you feel weak. Fear is the opposite of love because it forces you to focus solely on yourself. Fear is the opposite of a sound mind because it makes you confused. So how do I overcome fear? You fight FEAR by taking fearful thoughts captive, believing what God says instead of what fear says, and learning to take a step WHILE afraid.

#3 Pride

One of the main things that will kill your calling is pride. Why? Because when you’re prideful, God actively fights against you. James 4:6 NLT “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Fulfilling your calling is hard, but pride makes it nearly impossible. I don’t know about you, but I need God's grace working for me to do what He wants me to.

So how do you overcome pride? Choose humility. Choose to be a servant. Choose to take the low road. Positioning yourself as a servant of others will crucify the pride in your heart. And it’s when you choose humility that God’s unmerited and undeserved favor comes into your life!

#4 Compromise

Compromise always has a consequence, whether you reap it immediately or not.

2 Tim. 2:20-21 ESV “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

The above passage tells us in order to be used by God, we need to be clean vessels. You and I are called to live a holy life. This means a life that is set apart. A life that doesn’t look like everyone else's life. Holiness has become a bad word for many Christians. For some, you hear the word holiness and you say, “Here we go, here come all the RULES.” We’re so afraid of being legalistic that we end up living by low standards. HOLINESS is not about obeying a set of rules; it’s about building a CLOSE relationship with the Lord. Some of us approach holiness and start asking, “Can I _____________ and still be a Christian? Can I drink and be a Christian? Can I cuss and be a Christian? How dirty does the show have to be before it’s wrong? How much nudity is bad? Can I live with my girlfriend and be a Christian? Now that marijuana is legal, can I smoke and be a Christian?” But those questions reveal the problem.

Let me explain. That would be like going to my wife and saying, “Can I flirt with other women and us still be married? What about going on a date? Is that ok? What about late-night texts and conversations? Is that ok? Like, where’s the line that’s going to end us up in divorce court because I’m gonna make sure I do everything up to that line, but I won’t cross it.” The goal is not to live as free as I can and not end up in divorce court. The goal is to build a thriving marriage.

The question is NOT, can I _______________ and still be a Christian? The question should be, is ________________ pulling me towards Jesus or away from Jesus? Does ______________ please the Lord?

Hebrews 12:2 “Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.

If it’s sin, you need to stop; but just because it’s not a SIN doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

If it’s pulling you away from Jesus, get rid of it! That friendship. That habit. That show. That song. That thing. If it’s pulling you away from God, get rid of it! That thing is not worth the distance it creates from God.

You can overcome what’s killing your calling. You can fulfill the ministry God has for you. It starts by winning the battles against insecurity, fear, pride, and compromise.