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The hard moments don’t cancel the calling. God didn’t promise easy—He promised purpose.
For those of us serving as church techs, it can be easy to doubt ourselves and our calling sometimes, because it can feel like the bad days can outnumber the good ones. The uncertainty might start to creep in.
Am I really called to still do this? Why is this so hard? Why do I feel so unappreciated and undervalued? Does anyone even care? Does what I do even matter anymore?
So when the going gets tough, what am I choosing to focus on amidst the chaos to find my anchor, consistency, and purpose?
A hard weekend doesn’t mean you missed your calling.
When King Solomon built Israel’s temple, in parallel accounts shared in 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 3, he and his craftsmen ensured that God’s people would always have a visible reminder that could literally stand tall despite anything else happening among the people.
In 1 Kings 7:21 and 2 Chronicles 3:17, we are told that the two great pillars (or columns) outside the main entrance of the Temple (on the East side) were named Jakin and Boaz. That seems largely confusing or irrelevant until we learn what those names mean.
In Hebrew, Jakin means “He will establish” and Boaz means “in strength.” By building the temple with these columns at the entrance, Solomon was saying that God had established in his strength not just the temple itself, but the nation of Israel and His promise that He would forever be their God, and they would be His people.
Gear failures and volunteer no-shows don’t undo what God has ordained.
When God makes a promise, He fulfills it out of His strength. Seeing those columns every day would have been a constant reminder of God’s promises for His people.
While our ministry building today may not have literal columns or pillars out in front, the symbolism still exists and holds true even now: what God has established will continue in His strength. There are promises all through the Bible that reinforce that principle.
Acts 17:26 (NIV) says that God set my appointed time in history.
In Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), we are reminded, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Your calling isn’t fragile—even when your confidence is.
Romans 11:29 (NIV) proclaims that God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable.
Romans 13:1 (NIV) reminds us that there is no authority (even leading a tech team!) that hasn’t been established by God.
Paul writes in Philippians 1:6 (NIV) “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
And Joshua 21:45 (NIV) states that every promise God made to Israel was fulfilled.
There could be literally hundreds more verses added to that list, and they all serve to support the same premise: that what God ordains and proclaims, He makes happen.
God didn’t call you because the job would be easy.
Bad days come for all of us. Our volunteers don’t show up. Gear breaks. Our peers don’t listen to us. Our ideas get ignored. Our boss or pastor overlook us. We get harped on for making tiny mistakes and are taken for granted when things go great.
We’re the first ones there, the last ones to leave, and the only team expected to be perfect all the time, every time.
And when things pile up against us, sometimes the self-doubt and discouragement creep in.
When the Israelite priests entered the Temple each day to serve, they would have seen Jakin and Boaz and been reminded of their significance and of God’s promises. When we go to our ministries every day or weekend, we need to find something that offers the same reminder so it doesn’t become “just another job” or a task that we repeat machine-like without thinking.
God created me on purpose for a purpose. That purpose doesn’t go away on bad days. God’s promises don’t stop when my congregants complain about the volume level. Network outages don’t shortchange what God has established in His strength.
I can rely on God’s strength to carry me through; I will never have enough ability to do things on my own, and Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) that God’s power is made perfect in my weakness. I’m established in His strength, not my own.
That’s a promise that I can definitely find comfort in on the bad days, and I know His promises are yes and Amen!
