Defining the Call — What Scripture Actually Teaches

There are few subjects more misunderstood in the modern church than the call to pastoral ministry. For many, “calling” has become a vague spiritual feeling, a personal dream, or something someone “just knows deep down.” But Scripture paints a very different picture. God’s call is not sentimental, self-selected, or rooted in personal preference. It is holy, weighty, divine, and always aligned with His purposes for His people.

As someone who has spent more than two decades in ministry—preaching, mentoring, training, and walking with pastors—and who has stepped away and returned to spiritual leadership with fresh clarity, I have learned this firsthand: God’s call is not casual. It is costly. And yet, when He truly calls, there is nothing more life-giving or joy-producing than obeying Him.

This first post in our series seeks to define the call as Scripture defines it—not as culture, ambition, insecurity, or romanticism defines it. If future pastors are to discern God’s voice, they must first understand what God actually says about calling.

1. The Call Begins With God, Not With Us

The first truth Scripture teaches is simple but confrontational:
No one volunteers for God’s call. God initiates it.

Throughout the Bible, God calls His leaders—not the other way around.

• Moses didn’t volunteer. God called him from a burning bush.

• Gideon didn’t campaign for leadership. God found him hiding in a winepress.

• Isaiah didn’t aspire to be a prophet. He encountered the holiness of God and said, “Here am I. Send me” (Isa. 6:8).

• Jeremiah didn’t think he was qualified. God told him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… I appointed you” (Jer. 1:5).

• Peter, Andrew, James, and John were simply working when Jesus called, “Follow Me.”

Pastoral calling is never the result of human ambition. Paul makes this clear when he says:

“Christ Jesus our Lord… judged me faithful, appointing me to His service.”
— 1 Timothy 1:12

Notice the order:
Christ appoints, then we respond.

The call is not something we chase.
It’s something God initiates and we surrender to.

This alone challenges a prevailing problem in our day: some pursue ministry because they want influence, a platform, or purpose. But the true call of God is not birthed in self-fulfillment; it is birthed in obedience.

2. The Call Is a Call to God Before It Is a Call to Ministry

Many think calling means, “God is calling me into ministry.” But Scripture reveals a deeper reality:

God first calls a person to Himself.

Before Moses leads, he bows.
Before Isaiah prophesies, he repents.
Before Paul plants churches, he is knocked to the ground by the glory of Christ.

Ministry is always secondary. Intimacy comes first.

Every true pastoral calling begins with the overwhelming conviction that God Himself is worthy of your entire life. Only then does ministry become the natural overflow of a life surrendered to Him.

This matters because many people crave the work of the ministry more than the God of the ministry. But pastoral leadership flows from worship, not performance.

The call is not primarily a call to “do.”
It is a call to be with Jesus (Mark 3:14).

3. The Call Is a Call to Shepherd, Not to Shine

The pastoral call is not a call to spotlight, influence, or popularity. It is a call to shepherd God’s people—to feed, guide, protect, and lead them.

When Jesus restored Peter, He did not say,
“Promote My brand,”
“Build My platform,”
or “Be successful.”

He said,
“Feed My sheep.” (John 21:15–17)

The call is not glamorous. It is sacrificial.
It is not about personal fulfillment. It is about others’ spiritual flourishing.
It is not about standing on stages. It is about kneeling beside broken people.

In a world obsessed with influence, Jesus redefines leadership:

“Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.”
— Mark 10:43

If someone senses a call to ministry but resists serving, avoids sacrifice, or seeks recognition, they may desire ministry—but they are not yet ready for God’s call.

True calling always bends us low.

4. The Call Is Verified by Character Before It Is Evident in Competency

Scripture emphasizes that God’s call on a pastor is anchored not in gifting, but in character.

1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 do not list preaching ability first. They list:

• Blamelessness

• Faithfulness

• Self-control

• Gentleness

• Humility

• Hospitality

• Good reputation

• Integrity at home

• Love for what is good

• Soundness in doctrine

• Spiritual maturity

Gifts may impress people.
Character qualifies leaders.

When I pastored full-time, and even now as a leadership coach developing church leaders, one of the greatest dangers I see is the temptation to elevate charisma over Christlikeness. Churches often mistake talent for calling. But God looks for the hidden life before He entrusts public ministry.

God’s call is always accompanied by God-shaped character.

5. The Call Is Tested, Not Taken for Granted

Every biblical calling involves testing.

Consider:

• Moses faced rejection and wilderness years.

• Joseph faced betrayal, slavery, and prison.

• David was anointed king but tested by years of danger fleeing from Saul.

• Jeremiah preached without visible success and fought discouragement.

• Paul endured beatings, imprisonment, betrayal, and hardship.

Why does God test His called ones?

Because testing reveals authenticity.

I've heard it said "A calling that has not been tested cannot be trusted".

When a person crumbles under pressure, abandons their shepherding responsibilities, or refuses to endure hardship, it reveals that they may have pursued ministry for the wrong reasons.

But when God calls a man or woman, the Spirit strengthens them to persevere—not because they are strong, but because He is faithful.

6. The Call Produces a Burden That Will Not Leave

Jeremiah tried to quit. He actually said, “I will not speak in His name anymore.” But then he confessed:

“His word is in my heart like a fire… I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
— Jeremiah 20:9

The call of God produces a holy burden—a burning conviction that you must preach, shepherd, lead, disciple, and care for God’s people. It becomes a fire inside you.

If someone can walk away from ministry and feel relief, they were likely operating in assignment, not calling.

But when God calls, even in seasons of discouragement, something in you refuses to quit. You can rest. You can step back. You can take sabbaticals. You can refresh. But you cannot escape the burden God placed inside you.

As someone who has taken intentional seasons away from full-time pastoring, I can testify: the fire never dies when God put it there.

7. The Call Is Confirmed by Others—It Is Never Self-Anointed

No one in Scripture calls themselves into ministry.
God calls, and the community of believers confirms.

In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit calls Paul and Barnabas, but the church:

• Prays

• Discerns

• Lays hands

• Sends them out

Paul repeatedly references how the believers affirmed his ministry. Timothy’s calling was affirmed “by the laying on of hands of the elders” (1 Tim. 4:14).

God calls individuals, but God uses the church to affirm that calling.

If no one else sees the call in a person’s life—no mentors, no pastors, no elders, no believers—then that person needs to slow down and seek clarity. God never hides His calling from His people.

A lone-wolf calling is not a biblical calling.

8. The Call Produces Fruit Long Before It Produces a Title

Often, calling is visible before it is formal.

A person who is truly called to pastor will naturally:

• Shepherd people without being asked

• Teach others even when they aren’t on a stage

• Encourage struggling believers

• Evangelize the lost

• Disciple the willing

• Lead with humility

• Serve with joy

• Carry spiritual weight

• Pray with intensity

• Honor Scripture

• Live with integrity

• Love the Church deeply

When someone is truly called, the call shows up in their life before it shows up on their business card.

Titles don’t create pastors.
Calling produces pastors.

9. The Call Is Always Aligned to Scripture, Not Personality

God’s call is not shaped by someone’s personality type, skills, or charisma. He calls introverts, extroverts, quiet leaders, and bold leaders.

What matters is not personality but biblical alignment:

• Do they love the Word?

• Do they hunger for holiness?

• Do they treasure the Gospel?

• Do they desire to shepherd?

• Do they walk in humility?

• Do they serve faithfully?

The call must align with Scripture—not self-perception, personality tests, or preferences.

God’s Call Is Holy, Weighty, and Beautiful

The call to pastoral leadership is one of the most sacred assignments God gives. It is demanding, refining, humbling, and at times crushing. But it is also joyful, beautiful, and eternally significant.

If God is calling someone:

• He will make it clear.

• He will form character in them.

• He will give them a burden that won’t leave.

• He will test them to strengthen them.

• He will cause fruit to grow through them.

• And the church will eventually affirm them.

If you are a pastor or seeking to develop future pastors in your church, this foundational truth must be settled:

The call is God’s. The response is ours. And the glory is His alone.

Pastor if you are feeling stretched, discouraged, or just in need of a little guidance, we want you to know—you don’t have to do this alone. At Small Church Guys, we exist to help pastors and churches stay in the game and lead in a healthy, sustainable way. Whether you need a listening ear, practical resources, or leadership support, we’re here for you. Call or message us anytime—we’d be honored to walk alongside you.