by LaRaine Rice

God’s called and you’ve answered. You are going to serve Him full-time! In fact, you already serve Him now in as many ways as possible with school and work responsibilities. You dream of what it would be like to spend all your time serving Him.

Well, it will be similar to serving part-time, but different as well. It is fairly easy to imagine the similarities, so we will focus on the differences.

Perhaps the biggest difference is how to pace oneself. When involved with short-term ministries, whether for a summer or on a mission trip, there’s a lot to get done and not much time to do it. You didn’t fly all this way to spend your one week on mission sitting around. Full-time ministers can’t survive at this pace for weeks on end. Sure there are times when the job demands it. But there must also be times of rest and a healthy balance of work and family relationships.

Struggle with balance is another challenge ministers encounter. God’s work is so important that it is hard to say no. Ministers must be reminded to say yes to their families, as well as to their ministries. The balance struggle applies to single people as well. Without the infrastructure of a family at home, singles must make time to develop and maintain relationships. No one can do it alone, married or single.

Sometimes full-time ministers can feel as if they are alone in ministry. The people they have been called to work with don’t respond. Their church expects the paid minister to do all the work, while the members go about their lives. Progress seems slow and isn’t like it was on those mission trips back in college. This feeling of isolation can be hard, but the wise minister will always go back to the call. They will rely on their relationship with the Lord to guide and comfort them.

Persons in full-time ministry struggle just as much and sometimes even more with their relationship with God. The enemy is not pleased with their career choice and seeks to distract them with as much as possible. However, the relationship is the center of the call and, consequently, the ministry. Keeping focused on God, well, it just makes everything run more smoothly!

The final difference between full-time and part-time ministry is the people with whom you work. In general, full-time ministers wind up spending most of their time with Christians. Christians are great except for the fact that if all your time is spent with Christians, you must be intentional about fulfilling the Great Commission in your own world. Ministers have to go out of their way to “practice what they preach” and share with non-believers.

Full-time ministry is very rewarding in part because of the challenges it brings. Don’t let the challenges scare you away. Instead, focus on the One Who has called you and enjoy the journey.

LaRaine Rice is the youth/college consultant for Kentucky WMU. She has worked as a teacher and served in missions and collegiate ministries.