A pastor must be convinced that God has called him into the ministry. To serve without this sense of calling would be to reduce the ministry to the level of a secular career choice. Devoid of a divine calling the minister will not serve with a passion and perseverance that will see him through the challenges of ministry, nor will he serve with a sense of responsibility and accountability to God (2 Timothy 4:1-5). A man may sense God’s call on his life in a clear and dramatic moment or he may sense the call over a period of time through circumstances, opportunities, and an inner compulsion. Regardless, one should assess his call by examining his willingness and desire for the task (1 Timothy 3:1). He should also examine the spiritual qualifications of the pastor (1 Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4). He should seek the Lord’s will in prayer with confidence that God will direct him. He should also seek the counsel of godly people and the approval of his church. No man will ever feel adequate to the call (Isaiah 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15:9), but the knowledge of God’s gracious and sovereign call will keep him humble and dependent upon the Lord. In the final analysis, if a man can do anything other than the work of a pastor and find contentment in it, then he should go and do it, leaving the ministry to someone else.