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Never Forget How God SHAPED You for Ministry
If you’ve ever doubted your calling to ministry, consider this: God has been molding and shaping you for ministry since before you were born!
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe.” (Psalm 139:13-16 TLB)
This passage indicates that—
- God shaped you for a purpose
- You are unique
- You are wonderfully complex
Spiritual Gifts
The Bible teaches that God gives every believer certain spiritual gifts to be used in ministry (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 8; Ephesians 4). However, I believe spiritual gifts are only one part of the picture. In my opinion, spiritual gifts are often overemphasized to the neglect of other equally important factors. Natural abilities that you were born with also came from God. So do your experiences and inborn personality traits. Your Creator planned these factors as well. I also believe most churches get the process backwards. They say, “Discover your spiritual gifts and then you’ll know what ministry you’re supposed to have.” I believe the exact opposite of this: Start experimenting with different ministries and then you’ll discover your gifts! Until you actually get involved in serving, you’re not going to know what you’re good at.Heart
The Bible uses the term “heart” to represent the center of your motivation, desires, interests, and inclinations. Your heart determines why you say the things you do (Matthew 12:34), why you feel the way you do (Psalm 34:7), and why you act the way you do (Proverbs 4:23). Physiologically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Each person has a slightly different pattern. Likewise, God has given each of us a unique emotional "heartbeat" that races when we encounter activities, subjects, or circumstances that interest us. Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects that you feel passionate about and others that you couldn’t care less about. God had a purpose in giving you your inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat reveals a very important key to understanding his intentions for your life. Don’t ignore your natural interests. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing. High achievers enjoy what they do.Abilities
These are the natural talents that you were born with. Some people have a natural ability with words—they came out of the womb talking! Others are naturally good with numbers. They think mathematically and they can’t understand why you don’t understand calculus. Exodus 31:3 gives an example of how God gives people “skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts" in order to accomplish his purposes. In this case, it was artistic ability to be used in building the Tabernacle. It’s interesting to me that musical talent is not listed as a “spiritual gift,” but it certainly is a natural ability that God uses in worship. One of the most common excuses people give for not getting involved in ministry is, "I just don't have any abilities to offer." Nothing could be further from the truth. Many national studies have proven that the average person possesses from five hundred to seven hundred skills! The real problem is two-fold: First, people need some process of skill identification. Second, they need a process to help them match their abilities with the right ministry. There are people in your church with all kinds of abilities that are not being put to use: recruiting, researching, writing, landscaping, interviewing, promoting, decorating, planning, entertaining, repairing, drawing, and even feeding. These abilities should not be wasted. “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:5 NIV).Personality
It's obvious that God has not used a cookie cutter to create people. He made introverts and extroverts. He made people who love routine and those who love variety. Some people work best when given an individual assignment while others work better with a team. There is no "right" or "wrong" temperament for ministry. We need all kinds of personalities to balance the church and give it flavor. The world would be a very boring place if we were all plain vanilla. Fortunately, ministry comes in more than 31 flavors. Your personality will affect how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities. For instance, two people may have the same gift of evangelism, but if one is introverted and the other is extroverted, that gift will be expressed in different ways. When you minister in a manner that is consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction, and fruitfulness. It feels good when you do exactly what God made you to do.Experiences
God never wastes an experience. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). At Saddleback, we help people consider five areas of experience that will influence the kind of ministry they are best shaped for:- Educational experiences: What were your favorite subjects in school?
- Vocational experiences: What jobs have you enjoyed and achieved results while doing?
- Spiritual experiences: What have been the meaningful or decisive times with God in your life?
- Ministry experiences: How have you served God in the past?
- Painful experiences: What are the problems, hurts, and trials that you’ve learned from?
Recent Articles
Jesus Is Inviting You to Rest
“It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6 (GNT)In ministry, the demands never stop. There’s always another call to return, another sermon to prepare, another need to meet. But sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is pause—and remember that your worth doesn’t depend on keeping up with the pace.To do that, you’ll need to confront two lies that quietly push pastors to exhaustion—keeping them striving, never thriving.Lie #1: Doing more makes you more worthy.When you confuse your work with your worth, you’ll find yourself running on empty. Scripture says, “It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6 GNT). Rest isn’t wasted time—it’s trust. Your identity is secure in Christ, not in your output.Lie #2: Ministry is a competition.Numbers and comparisons can leave pastors feeling defeated. But God didn’t call you to run someone else’s race. “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). God takes delight in your unique faithfulness to the flock he has entrusted to you.Slowing down doesn’t start with clearing your calendar—it starts with your heart. Contentment in Christ frees you from the drive for more and steadies you in God’s peace.Jesus invites you today: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT). Pastor, that invitation is yours this Monday.
What to Do with the Weakness You Can’t Shake
You have weaknesses. We all do. They may be physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual—but they’re real. And more often than not, we try to hide them. We deny them, excuse them, defend them, or resent them.But God has a different plan.He wants to use your weaknesses for his glory. A weakness is any limitation you didn’t choose and can’t easily change. And while you might be tempted to think, “God could never use me,” the truth is, he delights in putting his power in ordinary people—fragile, flawed, and easily broken.That means you’re exactly the kind of leader God can use.Sometimes God doesn’t just use your weaknesses. He actually creates them—or allows them—so that you’ll rely on him. Sometimes he even turns your greatest strengths into weaknesses.That’s what happened to Jacob.Jacob was a schemer. He manipulated and deceived to get what he wanted. He spent much of his life running—from his brother, from consequences, and even from God. But one night, Jacob wrestled with God and said, “I won’t let go until you bless me.” God agreed—but then touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it.It seems like an odd way to bless someone—by wounding them. But it was exactly what Jacob needed.God touched Jacob’s strength and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp. He couldn’t run anymore. He couldn’t rely on himself anymore. He had to lean on God—literally and spiritually.That’s where transformation began.Pastor, if you want God to bless you and use you, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life. Because God uses weak people.When you stop hiding your weakness and instead allow God to work through it, you become a living testimony of grace. The world doesn’t need perfect pastors—it needs pastors who are surrendered. That’s where God’s power shows up.Paul experienced this firsthand. He had a weakness that he begged God to remove. But God didn’t take it away. Instead, he reminded Paul of a deeper truth:"But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).That same grace is available to you today. Lean into it. Let your limp lead you closer to God’s strength.
The Light You Need for Monday Morning
“I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” John 8:12 (TLB)Every pastor walks through dark days.There are dark days of disappointment—when your sermon doesn’t seem to land, your people seem disconnected, or your leadership efforts fall flat.There are dark days of discouragement—when criticism cuts deep, when relationships in the church feel strained, when people you've invested in walk away.There are even dark days of doubt—when you wonder if you're really making a difference, or if you have the strength to keep going.In moments like these, you don’t need a new strategy. You don’t need to chase the next ministry trend or polish your systems.What you need is light. Not just any light—the Light of the World.Too often, when ministry feels unclear or heavy, we instinctively reach for "flashlights" of our own making.We try to power through with experience, education, energy, or effort. We tweak the schedule, attend a conference, overhaul the programming, or imagine that a fresh start somewhere else will fix the fog.But these are dim lights, and they burn out quickly.What you need isn’t a flashlight—it’s a floodlight.Jesus doesn’t offer a flicker of inspiration. He is the blazing, unwavering Light who sees the path before you even when you can’t. He doesn't promise to remove every valley, but he promises you’ll never walk through one alone.Pastor, if today feels dark—if Monday feels heavier than usual—remember this:Your calling didn’t begin with your qualifications, and it won’t be sustained by your talent. It rests fully on the light of Christ.So flip the switch of faith. With Christ’s light, you may not see five miles down the road, but God will give you just enough light for the next step.Trust him again today.
Who Are You Following?
“You are blessed whenever you follow my example.” John 13:17 (GW)Pastor, you are following someone. Every day, someone’s model is shaping your thoughts, your leadership, and your heart. The question is—whose example are you following?If you’re not intentional, the expectations of others, the pressures of ministry, or even cultural ideals about success can start to set your course. But only one example is perfect. Only one person truly knows what it’s like to lead, to suffer, to love, to serve, and to endure. That person is Jesus.Jesus never called people to follow a method, a ministry strategy, or a movement. He called people to follow him. And that’s still his call to you.Jesus is your perfect model for ministry. He led with both courage and compassion. He loved boldly. He spoke truth tenderly. He wept over cities. He washed feet. He carried a cross. Jesus wasn’t weak—he was strong in all the ways that matter most. He showed us how to lead with grace, humility, and faithfulness under pressure.And he says to you, “You are blessed whenever you follow my example” (John 13:17 GW).No seminar or book can beat the example of Jesus. You have the greatest ministry mentor in history at your disposal. Choose to learn from him this week.
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