I’ve had a strange theory for a while. I believe that God often calls people to ministry in the local church by making them aware of a need.

That may not sound all that profound, but I think it changes the way we look at things that bother us at church. Instead of being called to complain, we’re being called to act. Instead of saying, “Somebody needs to do something about this,” we need to be saying, “What can I do about this?”

This idea of calling goes along with something else: you can’t overhear the call of God. That is, God doesn’t call someone else through you. When you see the need for someone to do more with the middle school kids, that’s a call for you, not for the youth deacon.

I won’t say that it’s always true. But if we’re willing to stop and listen, I think we’ll find that the fact that a burden has been placed on our heart is a call for us to act.

I will admit that teaching this concept to others does slow down the complaining a bit. Nobody wants to complain about the bathrooms being dirty because they know I’ll probably hand them a mop!

What do you think? Is this part of the way God calls us to ministry in the local church?

{photo from thebricktestament.com}