Am I called?

A question I often hear is, “How do I know if I’m called to ministry?” If you’re truly called, you won’t be able to shake it. The call follows you, it almost hunts you down.

When God calls a man to pastoral work, He gives him opportunities. At first, they’re small: praying with someone, giving counsel, helping set up for an event, filling in for a Bible study. Over time, the requests grow. More responsibility comes from more seasoned leaders. That’s not chance; that’s God opening doors.

Some men think they’re called but aren’t. They latch onto a few “You’d make a great pastor” comments and treat that as confirmation. My question is always, “Who told you that?” If it’s only your mom, a friend, or a couple of polite church members, that’s not the same as steady affirmation from pastors and elders who’ve seen you work.

It’s like those old American Idol auditions. Someone insists they were born to sing... then sings off-key. The judges, who know music, tell them they don’t have it. They storm off vowing to prove everyone wrong, but they almost never do.

The same thing happens in ministry. Some men get very few invitations from respected leaders, yet push forward anyway, starting their own thing. A handful of unqualified voices cheer them on while experienced leaders stay silent. Instead of asking why, they assume jealousy. Maybe one or two leaders are—but when it happens over and over, the problem is probably elsewhere. Sadly, some still find a church desperate enough to ordain them, and many church troubles trace back to pastors who were never truly called.

So where do you start? Make it known you’re willing to serve. When my wife and I were in a church plant, they needed help with set-up and tear-down. I showed up every Sunday. That’s where I preached my first sermon on Genesis 25. It wasn’t great, but I kept saying yes. Over time, I improved, built relationships, and developed skills. Say yes to the small things. If God has called you, those small things won’t stay small.

In the broad sense, every believer is called to ministry—we all use our gifts for God’s glory and others’ good. But pastoral ministry is a particular calling. You don’t want to be the pastor who’s spiritually tone-deaf but still trying to make a career as a singer. The results aren’t pretty, and the damage can be real.