The Call, is not a job it is a life. And while we can do much to plan for careers and a path one takes, often someone is not ready in either life experience or even spiritual maturity before they hear and recognize Gods call on their life. Usually this is after they have jobs, married, and have a family. Answering that call can mean incredible challenges, especially the challenge of getting a formal education in Bible and ministry. Our current system of higher education has built into it an “acceptable” level of debt in order to get a degree. Scripture says “ debtor is slave to ….” Getting a Bible degree and in a healthy way maintaining their current job, and keeping their family healthy is a great task all by itself without the concerns of wondering if they will be able to pay off student loans.
I have been called into the ministry by God. I am 23 years old, married and have 2 children (15 months and 3 months old). Over the past 5 years God has moved in my life by using 3 confirming experiences that have made His call on my life completely undeniable.
One of the confirming experiences God used was a growing sense of dissatisfaction. The first time I noticed it I was 18. I was going to Olympic College, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, what God wanted me to do with my life. I knew he was calling me to something but I didn’t know what it was. I tried different career paths at Olympic college, and ultimately did not feel satisfied with any of them. They all seemed to be missing something. Eventually, I just got a manufacturing certificate in composites and got a job. About a year went by and I was starting to feel comfortable in my job. Then again God moved in me and I started to feel dissatisfied with where I was at. I did not know what was wrong, I just felt like I was missing something. I was praying with God asking what am I missing? Show me. But God was silent. I did not know why I was dissatisfied, why I felt like I was missing something vital. After a time God impressed on me that he was calling me to more. He was calling me into pastoral ministry. It was a call to something I would do in the future. I needed to start getting ready. I began looking at where I was at, what people were around me, what skills could I gain, and what could I learn?
God began growing a desire for me to learn more and have a deeper understanding of his Word. I took the Leadership class when I was 18 to try and figure out what God was calling me to do and to gain a better understanding of my spiritual gifts. When I was 20 the Leadership class was being held again at Wellspring Fellowship and I felt God telling me Drake I want you to be part of this class again. I told God “It is already halfway over, how am I supposed to join now? If you make a way then I will join.” Not two minutes later Pastor Chris came around the corner and said “Drake you should join our class.” I just smiled and said “Sounds good, when do you meet?” Through that class I came to have a better understanding of how God has gifted me and who God made me to be. God continued to grow the desire to learn more until I felt dissatisfied with the amount of knowledge that I could learn on my own. I began meeting with Pastor Chris going through a Brief Survey of the Bible and beginning to build a solid foundation. It was also during this class that I was given the opportunity to preach a sermon.
I was meeting with Pastor Chris during our “Brief Survey of the Bible” and he let me know of a couple openings and wondered if I would like to preach a sermon? I told him I would pray about it and get back to him next week. In praying about it I felt God impressing upon me to step out in faith, stop holding back the talents that I have given you, and to trust me. I agreed to preach my first sermon. What I experienced while I was writing the sermon and when I was preaching the sermon is hard to describe. I have never felt more passionate and driven to do something in my whole life. It ignited in me a fire that would be impossible to deny. Nothing else even comes close to the passion and drive God has placed in my life to continue to do his work.