A pastor is not in charge of your ministry gift any more than an auto mechanic is! Now we seriously need both of them in our lives, or we may not get too far down the road we want to travel, but the gift is given by God, to be discovered, discerned, and then trained and employed!
Many pastors are pastor-teachers, or are pastor-evangelists, etc., meaning they have a primary and then a secondary gifting. But the Anointed One and His anointing is the Giver and Employer of all the ministry gifts.
And the more you know Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the Father, the more capable you are at filling in places where understanding might be lacking. You may not even understand fully, but your "partially" can help!
A pastor is in charge of the local church and the many help ministries will help there, as they do in other places too. The Work is God's Work, and He is the General Overseer. Other ministry gifts probably did not sign their name on the building and carry that responsibility and so that respect is due!
Pastors often labor long in the night with prayers (for you and others) and with study to present their part in helping you live a victorious and holy and qualified life for Him. But there are other giftings at work in His Plan! Learn how they balance. The Spirit of Love can take on many forms, and they will experience the labor of the Work and others are meant to help.
The Anointing, the Equipper and Enabler will do His part and will help encourage and He will help train the other ministry gifts to do their parts, but you have to work at this also! Sometimes you "fit" for a season, a day, or even a moment other places but "home" will often present itself as your place of recognition and responsibility! Some ministry giftings do travel and we are all blessed by that. All work is to help answer your prayers and the prayers of others too!
Babies and children mature and grow up just like ministries do. In the beginning you are ready to be all things to all people, but you learn as you go along, that some things seem especially easier and even more fulfilling than other duties. And when you are able to define more what your interests are, you will gravitate towards others with similar interests and learn from them or help them! And then you will be glad to help in the local churches or at meetings where your gift has made a place or room for you!
God is Qualifying You
As it says in Proverbs 18:16 - "A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men." But God is qualifying you by more than just knowledge! Do you understand Him and His will well enough to impart what He wants you to impart? Can you work with the others?
Yes, we come to a workplace mentality, but the goals are large and are meant for all. They will span lifetimes! Understanding His Spirit matters greatly, but it's not just other people that give your approval. God is looking to see if you understand!
In my earlier days when I was seeking Him for my place, I went to classes on all the ministry gifts. They were all fascinating to me. But there was a point when God spoke and said to me, "Now you know about the others, it's time to work on your gifting!" I knew enough then on how to work with others and distinguish the differences.
I could make this article so long but let me say this. All of us are called to have a servant ministry and the more you know Jesus, the more you understand about many things and callings. You are called to serve the other ministry gifts too, not just "be one." None of the other gifts are "in charge of you" either but they will help and bless you! But you are called to help and bless them too.
I remember when at one church they were very pleased with my gift of helps. And I was delighted to help in that season as other wonderful things were going on, but there came a time when the Lord said to stop that and do something else. I had served and now it was time for someone else to step up there. It's good to be flexible!
But more importantly it was good to learn that God had need of me and not just man and I was to respectfully serve both God and man in His Work! There are different seasons, and we learn how to be sensitive to that.
Honor should be given to where it is due but work every day to see the bigger picture. Things in life happen and change. We have the OPPORTUNITY to receive from Him! As you learn to hear and appreciate, God can use you strategically.
Man is not in charge of you, but man has labored to get you this far! So, help and respect others that we all my grow and mature! God has MUCH that He wants to do through all of us!
Pam Clark
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