Can you lose your spiritual gifts, ministry calling, or the purpose of God for your life?
In the course of my ministry walk, I have met many ministering Christians (those who function and minister with the spiritual gifts) and Christian Ministers (those who have spiritual ministry as their full-time vocation) from all walks of life. Those who have the fear of losing their callings basically fall into 3 categories:
People who don’t know where and how to begin.
People who don’t know where and how to begin.
They are still waiting for more prophecies and confirmation. They wonder if they have missed God’s timing and their prime time. If you are one of them, know that souls are always in the heart of the Father God (see Matthew 9:37-38). Pray that God leads you to souls who are in need of being ministered to and souls who are ready to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a short time, you’ll discover your spiritual gifting and the anointing to minister. You’ll be surprised how your ministry somehow just launches off without much planning.
People who strive hard (by own self-effort) to achieve God’s purpose for them.
People who strive hard (by own self-effort) to achieve God’s purpose for them.
They will try every means to get recognition, position, promotion, or to be hired by a church or Christian ministry. They are afraid to miss out any potential opportunity. If you are one of them, know that you don’t have to help God to accomplish His purpose on earth. In fact, you need His help! (See Galatians 1-2.) When Paul received his calling as an apostle, he didn’t try to make it happen with his own ability. He didn’t go up to Jerusalem immediately to get recognition by the established apostles before him. He understood that his calling is by the revelation of God, and it should therefore be carried out by God’s revelation and not by the way of man.
People who conclude that they have failed the Lord.
People who conclude that they have failed the Lord.
They have suffered and persevered much yet see not much result. They fear they have lost it as all their zeal has been exhausted. If you are one of them, do you realise that no man/woman of God in the Bible has ever lost their calling unless they turn away from God? Peter who denied Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed was restored and offered back his ministry calling 3 times by the resurrected Christ (see John21:15-17). John Mark who seemed to be incompetent in ministry at first was acknowledged and required by Paul again in his ministry (see Acts 15:36-39; 2 Timothy 4:11). In fact, I personally believe if Judas didn’t end his life and chose to repent instead, the grace of God will still be bountiful for him as an apostle. So friends, do not fear! Do not lose heart! Stir up your spiritual gifts again! Remember that your gifting and calling are never by the work of your hand but by the purpose and grace of God (see 2 Timothy 1:6-9).
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6)
The above scriptures assure Christians that whatever gifting or calling the Lord has given to you and started with you, He will not take it back and will surely help you to complete it. How does He help you?
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:26-28)
The Holy Spirit, your personal teacher, will always teach you and work in and through your life as long as you allow Him (see 1 John 2:20). Every time you pray in the spirit, He will help you to pray and make known the will of God to you. Just as your spiritual gifting and calling are given as the Spirit wills (see 1 Corinthians 12:11) and according to God’s purpose and grace for you in Christ (see 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 4:7), you can only see them realised and established by the grace of God, not by self-effort!
Whatever hardship you may have gone through, let His perfect love cast out all fears (see 1 John 4:18) and let’s forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead (see Philippians 3:13-14). Amen!