I recently had a discussion about "being called" to the ministry. The topic came up of persons who "want to be" a minister, and their reasons. I'm not simply trying to be pedantic about words, go with me on this for bit.
Shift to my work field, software. I have encountered two different kinds of people: those who "want to be a programmer" and those who "want to program." The former group is often attracted to what they see as above average pay, flexible work hours, and a certain (nerdly) status. The second group has a passion for programming and working with computers, and want to do that as a job. One person I know in the former group has slowly bounced from job to job because she wants to "be a project manager." She's quite smart, detail oriented, with good communication skills - but her passion is for the position, not the work.
I wonder about some of our ministers. Do they what want to "be a minister" - or do they want "to minister?"
I think that observation applies to many professional fields. Psychologists are often said to be drawn to psychology due to their own issues. Some MDs are motivated more for compensation etc. than patient care. There are elements of "control / power / recognition / praise" seeking in ministry that may appeal to some people versus actual individual "ministry".
ReplyDelete