Breaking Out of My Caste [System]

My religiously-devout grandmother wanted my dad to be a Roman Catholic priest.  Ironically, he eventually pastored a Baptist church and now works with multiple related ministries.  And he prayed (as my father-in-law prayed for my wife and countless other parents have prayed for their children), that I’d get blessed with the calling to be in the full-time, vocational ministry that he enjoyed.
That was always an uncomfortable prayer to hear, as I dreamed of being an architect, then a car designer, then a magazine columnist.  But it wasn’t until recently that I realized that, though those heavenly requests emanate from true love and commendable faith and good intentions, they prove biblically baseless.
Ever since Constantine hijacked the New Testament church, the concept of laity and clergy has held a strangle hold of most “Christian” assemblies.  The symbiotic circle of siblings was replaced with a hierarchical cone with spiritual haves and have nots.  This led to the assumption that one side of the pulpit trumped the other, that some Christians have attained a higher calling than others.
The Charismatic movement believes certain supernatural gifts (healing, speaking in foreign tongues, etc.) indicate a higher spiritual level, “a more greater love.”  But this religious movement doesn’t hold a monopoly on the spiritual caste concept.  Most denominations and faith systems, including the ones in which I’ve participated for decades, have their own version.
You’ve seen it.  Door greeters upgrade to ushers, who upgrade to deacons, who upgrade to Bible college students, who upgrade to assistant pastors, who upgrade to senior pastors, who upgrade to theology professors and/or seminary presidents.  At each step (no matter where their upgrading stops), there’s a certain implied spiritual status or at least a ladder rung.
The problem with all of this is that the New Testament speaks nowhere of a spiritual caste.  Nowhere does it say some are called to vocational ministry (or that others aren’t).  Nowhere does it tell us to aspire to have religious jobs or professional ministry.
What the Bible does say is distributed are various spiritual gifts or roles, including shepherding, teaching, evangelizing, overseeing—and many others.  In our American culture, where we define ourselves by how we generate income, we wrongfully assume that these callings are jobs, that the gifts are upgrades, that this list delineates careers.  So, as with a company, we assume that spiritual success is at the top of the ladder.
It’s not.
Ironically, Scripture actually warns us not to aspire to have gifts we don’t have, or develop callings we weren’t given, or want something God didn’t give us.
You can exercise these gifts in these roles without a Bible degree or pastorate.  You can shepherd a small group, teach a cluster of couples, and evangelize without “revival services.”  You can multiply the talents the Master gave you without a pulpit or your own congregation.  All believers are called to be priests and ambassadors and gift-users.  We are all called to let Spiritual fruit and biblical truth flow from our lives.  We are all to be reaching up to those with more life and spiritual wisdom and reaching down to those looking up to us.  For some, that may entail vocational ministry.  For most others, it won’t.  (Two of the most prolific disciplers I know are an attorney and a chiropractor.)
You can’t earn God’s favor or spiritual achievement.  You can’t work your way into God’s good graces anymore after salvation than before it.
Countless believers leave their secular jobs (with the self-imposed stigma) in pursuit of a higher sense of spiritual commitment in vocational ministry.  They burn out, flame out, disastrously fail.  Why?  They aren’t gifted for that ministry.  They weren’t destined for that position—at least not by God.  They just assume that’s what God’s highest calling would be.  And who wouldn’t want His highest calling?
These people now live in guilt and subjugate themselves to second-class spiritual citizenship.  So do people who never leave the secular workforce and just assume they will be heaven’s serfs.  It’s sad . . . kind of like the kid who wants to be a mechanic—and would enjoy that career—but suffers through parent-paid law school and then a loveless job to join his dad’s practice.
Thankfully, my dad’s prayer can still come true; and I think it is coming true in one way: I’m seeing all my life as potential ministry—my hobbies, my job, my relationships . . . not just my church environments.  I’m seeing God’s calling as a full-time deal instead of the offsetting spirituality to the secular segments of my world.  I may not get my paycheck from an offering plate, but God’s showing me places he wants to use what he gave me.
Now, I just need prayer for the sustaining courage, wisdom, and strength to spend my life there.
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