God Called Me While I Was Running From Ministry

Introduction

Jean Marc Botteron opens his testimony with a simple admission: he shouldn't have been standing there, in front of the congregation, that morning. It was the Lord who made him surrender so he would become a pastor. These weren't his plans, they weren't his projects. When he was converted, he wanted to be an advertising illustrator and draw comic books. He had it all mapped out: he would draw for the Lord, he would make God's Word known through his art. God had a different plan. And God pursued him until he let go of his own.

Outline of the message

1. A first verse he didn't want to hear

• At a summer camp where he was serving as a youth counselor, a fellow counselor brought him a piece of paper "from the Lord."
• She told him, "I received a verse for you."
• His first thought, he admits honestly, was to judge her: "this girl is a little strange."
• The verse came from 1 Samuel, when God chooses David, still young, to be king: "the LORD doesn't look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." He set the message aside.

2. A second verse that starts to weigh on him

• Two or three days later, the pastor gathers all the counselors and camp staff and gives each of them a verse.
• The verse given to Jean Marc comes from Zechariah: "if you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts."
• The woman sitting beside him tells him, "that's a call to become a pastor."
• But the last thing he wanted was to be a pastor. His great-grandfather was a pastor, his grandfather was a pastor, his father was a pastor. He rejects the thought and sets the verse aside.

3. A service where God won't let him go

• Two days later, a church service. A brother brings a spiritual word: "Why are you resisting? God is calling you to his service. Rise up today."
• At that moment, the two verses he had set aside come flooding back to his memory.
• He leaves the service convinced. He surrenders. He gives up his own plans and says, "your will be done. If you're calling me, I'm ready to serve you."
• From that point on, a new zeal is born in him for God's house, for the things of God, for studying and sharing the Word.

Key takeaways

• God confirms his call: two verses, a prophetic word before the congregation, and a peace that comes when you yield.
• Resisting God doesn't stop God. He pursues you patiently, until you surrender.
• Your first reaction might be to judge the messenger. Jean Marc did, and he admits he was wrong.
• Your plans, even sincere ones made "for the Lord," aren't necessarily God's plans for you.
• Surrendering isn't losing: God's plans for you are better than your own plans for yourself.

Personal application

1. Is there an area where you're resisting God right now? What is it?
2. When someone recently brought you a word you dismissed as "strange," did you weigh it before God?
3. Do your plans to serve God match the call God has placed on your life, or what you'd simply prefer?
4. What are you willing to surrender today so you can say, "your will be done"?
5. If God is calling you to serve him in a specific role, are you ready to rise up today, without waiting?

Scriptures referenced

• 1 Samuel 16:7 · The LORD looks at the heart
• Zechariah 3:7 · Walk in his ways, keep his courts

Frequently asked questions

How can I know if God is calling me to a ministry?

In Jean Marc Botteron's testimony, the call is confirmed through several signs that converge: a verse handed to him by a youth leader, a verse he received from his pastor, a prophetic word spoken during a service. When God calls, he takes the time to convince you. Stay listening, and let God confirm it through his Word and through the body of Christ.

What should I do if I'm resisting God's call?

Jean Marc Botteron puts it plainly: "when we resist God, God pursues us." Resisting wears you out, and it doesn't change God's plans. The best thing to do is surrender: let go of your own plans and say to the Lord, "your will be done. If you're calling me, I'm ready to serve you."

Do I have to give up everything to serve God?

Not necessarily in the sense of emptiness, but yes in the sense of letting go of your own plans. Jean Marc Botteron wanted to be an advertising illustrator and draw comic books. He gave up that path, but he never regretted it: the Lord gave him a taste for studying the Word and sharing it. God's plans for you are better than your own.