“This is a faithful
saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” (1 Timothy 3:1 NKJV)
I remember an old preacher, Cecil Fox, telling me about his
struggle to surrender to the call to ministry.
He said, “God can make you want to do what you ought to do.” He did not want to preach, but circumstances
broke him and backed him into a corner. That
was his experience—and it is with many. But,
it was not so with me. I did not run
from the call, but ran to it!
“What one does voluntarily is more esteemed than what he
does when asked (1Co 16:15 ).
This is utterly distinct from ambitious
desires after office in the Church. (Jam
3:1 ).”[1]
After my conversion, God began to work into my heart a great
desire to serve Him in the church. He
placed me among others of like mind, and iron sharpened iron. Yet, whatever I did, there always seemed
something elusive—just beyond my grasp—that needed to be done.
Sometimes I would have a vivid image in my mind, of standing
before God’s people, delivering the Word of God, and could feel the thrill of
seeing souls respond to it. God’s Spirit
worked this deeply into my heart—and into my wife simultaneously to support
this—and we came to the place of surrender to the will of God under the
preaching of the late Dr. Stephen Olford.
He gave the invitation, “Lord Jesus—anything, anytime,
anywhere—I am ready.” We took each other
by the hand, stepped out in faith and yielded our lives at the Ben Lippen Bible
Conference, July, 1976.
A PRAYER
Gracious Lord,
Your Son, Jesus, willingly stepped out of the Ivory Palaces
and came into this world to preach good news.
Thank You for allowing us to follow in His steps. Work into men whom You choose the desire to
embrace Your will and surrender with joy to the call to Gospel ministry.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
[1] Jamieson,
R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary
Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1 Ti 3:1 ). Oak Harbor , WA
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