Question
Gramps,
Why are the same people called to leadership positions in the ward? Are the rest of us chopped liver? Does Heavenly Father think so little of us that we aren’t considered worthy to lead?
Cheryl
Answer
Dear Cheryl,
Before I attempt to answer your question, I’d like to ask you a question. Why do you seek a leadership position?
In my experience, people tend to equate leadership positions with spirituality, as if being called to leadership is some sort of spiritual gold star on one’s forehead. In this manner of thinking, the leaders of the ward are the most spiritual, but that is not the case. You have likely heard (and possibly dismissed) the idea that every calling is important. Let’s re-examine that idea for a moment. Do you think it’s important for the Gospel Doctrine teacher to be spiritual and inspired in giving the lessons? Maybe he or she isn’t always, but imagine the difference if that was the case! Of course, we want the leaders of our young people to be inspired and in tune to help them. What about Primary? That’s not important right? Just glorified babysitting, or is it? Have you ever really thought about how important a loving, inspired Primary teacher is to a scared little four-year old who would rather be with mommy. Then how about the ward chorister? Surely that’s not important. Anyone can be taught to swing her arm through the air, right? (My apologies to musical people!). Once when I was going through a difficult time, I was blessed to have a ward chorister who was very spiritual. It was evident that he didn’t just select hymns that fit the topic of the meeting, but he was prayerful in his selections. Because of him, I received the renewal that I needed in Sacrament meeting each Sunday through hymns that felt like they were chosen just for me. That was years ago now, but I still remember how important that was to me. Not only did the hymns comfort me, but they were a witness that God was aware of my needs. Imagine, Cheryl, a ward full of people like that chorister who did their callings by the spirit. What a powerful influence that ward would be for one another. So while it may seem trite to some, I am convinced that every calling truly is important. Every calling can be used to bless others.
So now to your question why are the same people called? I can’t say for certain, I don’t know the mind of the Lord, but I will hazard a guess. Either they are called because there is something the Lord wants them to learn, there is someone they can reach, or some problem they will be uniquely able to solve. Pay careful attention to that first possibility-maybe there is something for them to learn. Sometimes we are given callings because of what we can learn, sometimes for what we can do for others and sometimes both. There are times that we are given callings because we have natural talents that will help us to do them, and other times we are given callings to help us develop new talents we didn’t even realize we had. It’s possible sometimes we are given callings to humble us, or those around us. Once an old ward I had been in received a new Bishop–from another ward. The new Bishop didn’t live in the ward boundaries! We had moved when that happened, so I don’t know how the ward members felt about that. I would guess it was hard for some of them and maybe that was part of the point. The Lord has told us He will have a humble people. We can either humble ourselves or He will compel us to be humble.
I would caution you Cheryl, not to spend too much time worrying about what calling you have, or who is doing which calling. Satan can use such thoughts to your disadvantage. He will treat those kinds of thoughts as a small spark and try to blow it into a bonfire. Don’t let him into your heart. Instead turn your heart, and efforts to the Lord. When you receive a calling you’d rather not have it’s okay to say, “Heavenly Father, I really don’t want to be in this calling, please help me to change my attitude. Please help me to learn to love it and serve thee well wherever I am called.” The Lord can use a humble heart like that to do powerful and amazing things. What is most important is not where we serve, but that we allow ourselves to be the Lord’s hands. What a powerful force in the world we could be, if we all just put our own agendas aside and trusted the Lord.
Trust Him Cheryl. Be His hands.
Gramps
