10 Steps for Leading Men to Find Their Calling
February 17, 2017
Are there men in your group who haven’t yet discovered their personal ministry within the body of Christ? Let’s assume they know Christ, and have a growing burden to serve Him. How can you lead them to produce fruit?
Employ the Means of Guidance
To help us discern His will, God has given these means of guidance: the Bible, prayer, the Holy Spirit, a conscience, our circumstances, counsel, and fasting. Men should use these with liberality, keeping this question before them: “God, what is my calling for life?”
Discover Spiritual Gifts
Lead men to discover their spiritual gifts. This will help them discern direction as much as any single thing. Offer training in spiritual gifts, providing books and other resources.
Identify Motivating Interests
Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His purpose.” In other words, God puts desires into men’s hearts to do His work. Lead men to pay attention to their desires and to pray over them to discover if their motives are pure.
Complete Written Life-Purpose Statements
To understand God’s larger purpose for their lives, men must know why they are here and what their life is about. Help them develop a written life-purpose statement of one or two sentences, based upon a Scripture verse if possible.
Keep Journals
Lead men to keep a written journal of Scriptures that teach them, impressions they have, concerns, and new insights about themselves, the character of God, and His calling. Help them identify patterns of interest or concern in their writings.
Keep Driving Toward the Vision
An old country preacher said, “Clarity of vision means an acceleration toward the goal.” When early morning fog reduces our vision, we must drive more slowly. But when the fog burns off, we can speed up. We all go through periods when we know where we want to go, but the way to get their seems fogged. The key is to help men keep driving toward the vision, even if they must drive slowly because they are in a fog.
Pray About What to Do When Strategy Is Unclear
If God has given your men a vision, yet the precise strategies for the part they are to play is unclear, lead then to keep praying for the strategy – not the “what” to do, but the “how” to do it.
Maintain Priorities
Regardless of what specific ministry or occupation God gives, men must understand they all have inescapable priorities that must not be neglected; for example, their wives, children, walk with Christ, personal finances, rest, exercise, and work. Men must take responsibility for their own private lives.
Be Willing to Take Some Risks
Many men never attempt anything significant because they might fail. They would rather be perfect in potentiality than imperfect in actuality.
Are your men involved in personal ministry? If not, what is the Lord saying to them? Have they been faithful to the vision God has given?
Patrick Morley is founder of Man in the Mirror, a ministry to men, and chairman of the Steering Committee for the National Coalition of Men’s Ministries.
