It was laid on my heart to write on this, to correct certain impressions people have about this and bring about repentance (change of mind) to the hearts of many out there who had consciously or unconsciously mistaken their callings for a profession. I believe this words will minister to your hearts and minds as you receive these words to heart. Most times as believers we are caught in the act of “professionalism” in carrying out the very work that God has called us to do. We tend to bring in professionalism in replacement of the Spirit and we expect to see the God kind of result in what we do. It doesn’t work that way.
According to the Merriam -Webster dictionary, a profession is defined as “a type of job that requires special education, training or skill.” For instance, the reason an accountant is called an accountant, it’s not because he was born an accountant, but because he acquired the necessary skills needed to become one, which can be got through attending a tertiary institution or a professional course (ICAN) in the case of Nigeria. He is an accountant by profession because of the means through which he acquired the necessary skill to become one. Profession led to specialization. Specialization makes you good at that which you do because you do it on a daily basis.
Calling, as it relates to God’s eternal plan and purpose for man and His kingdom here on earth, is the equipping of believers to function on certain capacities here on earth in relation to God’s plan and purpose for their lives. There are several instances in the Bible where God called men to do certain things in fulfillment of His plan and purpose for Man. Let’s look at some few instances; the calling of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:4-11 “Then the LORD called Samuel… ” We can also see the call of Gideon in Judges 6:11-14. There are other passages in the Scripture that talked about God’s call on man.
There is something I would like us to note, there is a difference between calling and profession. It’s important we know this. Calling is not profession and profession is not calling. If you study from Scriptures, you will find out that everyone whom God called had a profession. In other words, they had a job. You will also notice that they all left their profession to follow the call. Calling relates to purpose but profession does not, it boils out of one’s desire to work in a particular field. There is a difference between calling and profession. Let’s establish a scriptural basis for this.
Matthew 4:18-20 “as Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew… they were fishermen. Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men… at once they left their nets and followed Him”. Virtually all of Jesus’ disciples had a “profession”. But they all left what they were doing to follow Jesus. Peter at one point said to Jesus “we have left everything to follow you” (see Mark 10:28).
The mistakes many believers are making today is that they are now trying to bring in “professionalism” into their calling. There is a danger in doing that. The workings of the flesh can never produce the results of the Spirit. Let’s look at one vital ministry of God’s calling here on earth – the ministry of songs. There are believers called by God to function in that ministry.
There are some who yield themselves to God’s Spirit to teach them how to go about the work without being taught by anyone. You may ask “is this possible?” yes it is (see Exodus 35:30-33). While there are others who resolve to go learn and “furnish” the gift. That is, they go to music school to learn how to sing. These set of persons become so good at what at what they do because of the knowledge of the music they have acquired. When you ask them what they do, they say “I’m a music minister”, “gospel lyrics artist” or whatever nomenclature they can give to it. Some stop seeing music as a calling, they begin to see it as a profession just because they went to a music school. They become used to what they are doing because they do it often (specialization). The danger of this is the neglect of the work and leading of the Spirit in the life of that believer.
For the believer who ministers in songs, going to music school only teaches you how to sing and play in harmony with various instruments and the basis and depths of music but it will never teach you how to minister in and with the anointing. The anointing in whatever office you are functioning is what makes the difference. I was in a meeting sometimes back and a lady was ministering in songs and the power of God was mighty in that hall. This lady has never been a part of any team ministering in songs but she ministered with power. Another lady came up and took over the ministration and the whole atmosphere became void of the Spirit! This lady is a part of team ministering in songs! Well, it was obvious that she flopped, she blamed the drummer for not keeping pace with her.
Probably this other lady feels she has been with the choir for a long time and she knows her way through and she probably feels she knows the kind of songs to sing that will move the people. Your knowledge of music has been so puffed up that you are blinded to the leading of the Spirit. You don’t sing songs that will move people, you minister to God to see the move of the Spirit. We are too caught in this art of professionalism and it is hindering the move of God in our meetings.
Just because you are a good orator doesn’t necessarily mean that when it comes to the teaching of God’s word you can maneuver your way through with the knowledge you have acquired on how to deliver a speech or 101 ways to speak effectively. It doesn’t work that way. It is the Spirit that makes the difference. For the believers, we are trained by the Spirit to depend on the Spirit but in a profession, you are trained to be dependent on the knowledge you have acquired from the training. The problem is that we bring these principles into God’s kingdom to do His work and we expect to get the God-kind of a result.
My point is this, when it comes to doing God’s work, there are no rules, principles or one best way of getting things done. The Church is not a place where you learn 10 ways of getting the Spirit to move or 10 ways to move in the anointing like, the Spirit is a mechanic. These are things taught in the world and believers are bringing these ideas to do God’s work and you expect to see God-kind of a result.
You can’t use the systems of the world to carry out God’s plan and purpose and every believer must be conscious of this, otherwise, you may end up building with wood, hay, and straw. Galatians 3:3 makes it clear “are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”
Some ministers of the word, because they want to become fluent in ministering God’s word to His people you go take an online course on how to deliver a speech like you are delivering a seminar or something. Your motives may be right but your source is far questionable. Who taught Moses who was a stutterer how to become fluent? I’m sure if we had preachers who are stutterers they would resolve to Google to teach them how to teach effectively as a stutterer. Who taught Jesus’ disciples who never had the privilege of taking classes on how to deliver speeches, to know how to minister the word that for centuries we are still making reference to today?
Jesus said in Matthew 4:19 “I will MAKE you” (emphasis added). Have we so neglected the work of the Spirit that we now sort to provide for ourselves that which only He can provide for us? The Book of Acts recorded something profound in chapter 4:13 “when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (emphasis added).
You can’t make an impact by learning principles, do’s and don’ts but rather by spending time with Jesus and how do you spend time with Jesus? By spending time with the Word. When you spend time with the Word you allow the Word renew your mind and transform your life. Your calling is not a profession so quit trying to make it one. You don’t out of use become used to the things of the Spirit because there is no one way of getting things done in the realm of the Spirit. You don’t become used to the things of the Spirit, you become sensitive to the leading of the Spirit carry out His work.
