This thought has been on my heart for awhile: Ministry is a calling, not a career.

A few years ago – well seven – I helped plant a church, and heard God clearly say this is where I’m calling you.

I stepped into the role of the Worship & Creative Pastor and into one of the craziest, most beautiful seasons of my life.

If you’ve ever planted a church, you know.

But three years in, something shifted. Not externally. Internally.

I felt God speaking to me again but this time instead of stepping in, He was telling me it was time to step out.

It didn’t quite make sense to me at the time. I had spent three years building something, and it was hard to let that go. But I had to ask myself: Was I more attached to what I had built—and the title that came with it—or was I truly listening to the call of God on my life?

Here’s the honest truth. I could have stayed and probably done a decent job.

But the grace to lead in that season… I believe it had lifted.

And I’ve learned not to ignore that.

I wonder how much burnout in church comes from staying where we’re no longer called to be.

We confuse comfort with calling. We equate doing good work with God’s will. But ministry without grace becomes heavy. And leadership without calling becomes harmful. Not just for us. But for the people we lead. Because misaligned calling always spills over. Into teams. Into relationships. Into the culture.

This isn’t everyone’s story. But it’s mine.

Ministry, for me, has never been about climbing some invisible ladder or holding a position.

It’s a call. A holy invitation. If God says “go,” I’ll go. If God says “stay,” I’ll stay.

Don’t chase the title. Don’t cling to the role. Don’t force something because you want it.

Chase obedience. Chase intimacy with Jesus. Chase the quiet, Spirit-led ‘yes’ – even if no one else sees it.

Because in the end, it’s not about what you built, it’s about what God built through you.

Go where He sends you. Stay where He plants you. Trust His grace for each season.

That’s where the fruit is.