Every year, thousands of Christians consider the appeal to enter “full time ministry”. Hundreds pray, struggle make decisions, fill out cards at missions’ conferences or retreats, consult with pastor, boyfriend and girlfriend, and ask more questions. 

Many of them enter seminary. Others go on short term mission trips. A few are hired by Christian organizations. But hundreds of others continue to struggle -- especially those who are engaged or married, and especially women. Thousands live with a guilty conscience. Have I made a mistake? Did I betray my decision before God? Have I gone back into "the way of the world"? Did I hear God clearly -- did He really call me? Anyway, what is this thing called "full time ministry"? Isn't every Christian supposed to serve God full time? So... what's the difference? 

Does God himself make a distinction between what we call full time ministry (giving up a so-called "secular" job and serving the Lord full time), and serving the Lord as laypeople while pursuing a so-called "secular" career? Full time ministry with “tent making” -if a Christian is in full time ministry while holding down a so-called "secular" job. 

Every Christian is called to both: to be a disciple in God's world, in obedience to Christ the King, and to live and serve in Christ's Body the church. All Christians are commanded in Gen. 1:26-28 and Matt. 28:19-20 and many other verses serve him in these two ways wherever we are. In addition the bible says we are different parts of the body in Ephesians 1 -therefore we are all in ministry…. we cant all be hands, legs, heads etc- so we cant all be pastors, bishops etc. One should not say a hand is more important than a head- so applies to the different roles in the church- whether full time pastor or layman.

Instead every Christian should ask what role he/she is playing in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The question is not, should I serve the King? The question is how I should serve Him in my profession.