God is your Dad, and He’s cool with you doing just about anything—as long as you honor Him in it. So when you’re wrestling with “what’s next” in ministry, it’s not about unlocking some secret map. It’s more like honoring Him with wisdom and clarity.
I do not mean to redefine calling for you. In fact, when someone tells me that they clearly heard God I never doubt it. I’m not here to rob anyone of anything, but I would love to encourage us all to think about how God calls and moves people…
This is based on my personal experience plus the 2,500+ interviews and stories of my last 2 decades on this topic. In other words, it’s not based on statistics as much as it’s based on up close and personal experience. (We need both, by the way, and both are expensive)
Two questions to ask:
Do I want to leave where I am?
What is my next job?
Just don’t confuse the two.
Those aren’t the same question. Trust me. You’ve got to answer the first one before you ever even look at the second. If you’re asking God about job openings before you’ve even honestly answered whether you’re supposed to stay put, you’re putting the cart before the calling.
And here’s my tip: grade where you’re at like a report card. Give an A to F rating to these six things—your boss, team, organization, challenge, location, and pay. That GPA might tell you something before the Spirit even has to say a word. (hint: if your GPA is better than a 2.0 this move is going to be expensive!)
If the answer to “Should I leave?” is a clear no—then don’t pray vague prayers like “Lord, should I apply to this job?” That’s like walking onto a Ford lot when you know you can’t afford the F-150. The moment you test drive it, you’re toast. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually—you’re already halfway out the door.
And listen, I’ve seen it. A guy spends his days scrolling job boards and suddenly, he’s like, “God is clearly calling me to something new.” I want to say, “Nah, man, that’s just your job-search algorithm at work.”
It used to be that job buzz traveled by word of mouth or random conference meetups. Now it takes two clicks, and suddenly your name is being passed around like a trending topic. You don’t even know people are talking about you until your phone starts ringing.
Yes, I believe in a living God who still calls and moves His people. But let me throw this out there—based on my story and hundreds of others, sometimes it feels like God is terrible at HR. We keep saying, “The Lord called me here,” and then two years later we’re saying, “Yeah, that didn’t work out.”
I’ve done it. Christ redeemed it all and I’ve been able to help others through it the last 2 decades.
Maybe He did call you—but maybe we didn’t do the homework. Maybe we chased something that looked shiny instead of asking the deeper questions. These days surely the most shiny object of all is quitting and radically changing into something else.
“This is crazy out of the blue, but God called me…” I’ve said it, and I’ve done it. In fact, the crazier, the less money, the more blue the out-of-the-blue thing is…the more God must be in it, right?
So what if we slowed down? What if we trusted that the God who speaks through smart people and those with perspective on these matters?
So before you polish the résumé, pause. Check the GPA. Ask the right question first.
You’ll honor Him more by waiting well than by wandering fast.
This is my favorite conversation every week, and if I can help you avoid some common missteps that I have made, you know where to find me.