It's a Privilege
What a privilege it was to return to Oaxaca this week (Jan. 4-6) and speak at their Youth Camp about the call to ministry. Camp was held at San Pedro Ixcatlan, an area even further southeast than I'd been before in Mexico. It was a nine-hour drive, seven of which was through the twisting, winding mountain roads of the "Sierra Mazateca". The views were breathtaking, even if the roads were treacherous (I don't think they've discovered guard rails yet in Mexico!). The camp area was absolutely beautiful, situated on a reservoir that covers hundreds of square miles in southeast Mexico, emptying into the Gulf. The temperatures were in the low 90's and it was sunny all three days.
Who wouldn't consider it a privilege to be able to minister in "paradise", to go and "suffer for Jesus" where it's sunny and 90 in January? But that's not exactly what I mean. I mean I consider it a great privilege just to be called into full-time ministry anywhere in the world. And that's what I preached to the young people at the Camp.
Have you ever read C.S. Lewis' "The Voyage of the 'Dawn Treader'" from the Chronicles of Narnia series? Near the end of the voyage most of the ship's crew is afraid to sail on into the uncharted waters of the "uttermost east" and are on the verge of mutiny or desertion. Caspian, the king and leader of the voyage, wisely addresses his crew with a little reverse psychology: "Friends, I think you have not quite understood our purpose. You talk as if we had come to your with our hat in our hand, begging for shipmates. It isn't like that at all. We ... have an errand to the world's edge. It is our pleasure to choose from among such of you as are willing those who we deem worthy of so high an enterprise. We have not said that any can come for the asking.... Aslan's mane! Do you think that the privilege of seeing the last things is to be bought for a song?" After Caspian promises great rewards if they're successful or a glorious death if they're not, all but one of his crew petitions for the privilege of sailing east to the edge of the world and possibly on to "Aslan's Country".
I felt led to speak to the young people in the same way, that being called into full-time ministry is only for a privileged few. I shared the story of Gideon (Judges 7) and how God had reduced his army of 32,000 to only 300 men. They were the fortunate ones who had the great privilege of participating in God's miraculous deliverance of Israel and the defeat of the Midianite army (who probably numbered over 80,000). God selected only those who first of all answered the general call that he gives all of us, secondly those who didn't tremble with fear, and thirdly those who were prepared and trained for battle. (Only 300 men didn't drink from the very vulnerable posture of lying down with their faces in the water!) Of course, the application for that third point was being trained in our Bible School or extensions!
I admit I was nervous and felt I was taking a big risk with this approach. After all, we have a great shortage of pastors in Mexico and need as many as possible to answer to the call. Over these past five years it has seemed like pulling teeth to get people to answer the call to study and go into full-time ministry! But at the end of the message, I gave an invitation for those who believed God was calling them in all three of these areas (my three points in the message). I said, "I'm wondering if there might be one or two, possibly three, out of this group of 100 young people who would stand and acknowledge the privilege of being called into full-time ministry. After all, that's about 1%, roughly the same percentage of Gideon's army of 300 out of the original 32,000."
To my surprise (which I'm ashamed to admit), young people began standing up all over the audience, beginning with two small boys on the front row who immediately shot to their feet! It looked like about a third of the group of teens were on their feet or beginning to stand. I said, "Please, not everyone! Only those who know they are being called!..." But they refused to sit back down. I mentally counted 22 on their feet as I began to pray a special prayer over these "privileged few". I'm sure there were more that responded, probably around 30-35 altogether.
It's not really reverse psychology. I firmly believe it's the truth. Many people look at us who make our living (sometimes a meager one) in the ministry, especially missionaries, and say, "What a sacrifice!" I don't see it that way at all. I say, "What a privilege!"
