Kicking Against the Goads
When I responded to God’s call to serve as a pastor, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Fortunately, I was blessed with a godly mentor. Without him and God’s grace through him, I don’t think I’d be serving as a pastor today. After about five years of ministry, I ran into some people and problems that threatened my continued service as a pastor. I was ready to quit.
But at the urging of one of my leaders, I began to visit an older, godly servant of Christ. Tommy had left his position as pastor for a time. He ended up serving as a janitor in a local business, eventually working his way up to middle management. He was making good money when God called him to once again take up the mantle of pastoral ministry. And from that point on, Tommy was a vital part of the Kingdom, serving a church recognized today as a leader in its state.
Tommy, he was able to counsel me with a gentle firmness. One day, as I was complaining and threatening to go back to the business world, which I had left to become a pastor, Tommy shared his story with me. After he finished, he looked at me and said, “Dan, like me, you’re going with God. You can go the easy way, or you can go the hard way, but you are going with God. He was right on! And I am so grateful that I was unable to kick against the goads of God. (See Acts 26:14)
In Christ,
Dan