A few years ago, I heard a startlingly clear summation of a pastor's calling. I was visiting a congregation made up mostly of twenty-somethings who had not been raised in church. As the service began, the pastor introduced himself.

"Hi, my name is Tom," he said. "I'm a pastor here. It's my job to pray for you, whether you're a Christian or not, and to talk with you about Jesus, whether you're a Christian or not. That's what I do."

His calling was simple, and because of that, also rather complicated. Because talking about Jesus leads us into all aspects of life. And when we pray for people, the deeper, unresolved parts of their lives inevitably surface. It has always been this way.

Calling: it's the reason you do what you do. God has uniquely prepared you for his work. But some days, doubts creep in. Here's help to dig deep into your calling, to understand God's voice, to live it out and help others do the same.

Lashed to the Mast