The last two years of my life have been nothing short of incredible. I’ve entered a new season of my life, started a new ministry, and seen exponential growth. God has been so faithful. The new relationships I’ve built and the experiences I’ve had have taught me more than I ever thought possible. But even healthy and welcome transitions come with challenges. The greatest challenge for me was the uncertainty and the upheaval; the routines I had built for twenty years were shifting. That can be tough! My way through it was simple: I allowed the call of God to steady me. I knew that my ministry was not over; instead, my assignment was growing. The consistency of my call steadied me in the face of transition. [bctt tweet="The consistency of my call steadied me in the face of transition." username="dukematlock"] Some people have asked me if I’ve retired from ministry since I transitioned from my church; the question always makes me laugh. I’m not retired; I don’t think God is quite done putting me to work just yet. My assignment in ministry has changed, however. I am no longer the lead pastor of a local church; I am a pastor to pastors. I coach leaders who want to grow. I help people get a little bit better every day. And the funny thing is that this feels just as natural and fulfilling as my time serving as a lead pastor. The voice of God is still saying the same thing. My assignment has changed, but my call has remained the same. When my girls were growing up, I instilled in them the belief that ministry was about more than just them. Their individual talents for teaching or singing did not disqualify them from serving in other areas of ministry; instead, they were called to meet the need. If the nursery needed teachers and they were available, they needed to step in. Their call was to serve God in whatever capacity He asked of them. They were called to meet the need. Sometimes that meant they were leading worship, other times they were stacking chairs. The assignment was flexible; their commitment to the call of God was not. I coach quite a few young leaders who are just starting out in ministry or in their careers. Many of them will come to me frustrated because they find items on their job descriptions that they hadn’t anticipated. They feel called to youth ministry, but they find themselves overseeing the maintenance department as well. Or they are children’s pastors and find themselves overseeing the parking lot team. As their coach, it is my job to help them understand that part of fulfilling the call is to perform each assignment with excellence. The moment they realize that their unwanted assignments are just as important as the assignments that fit into their giftings, they begin to win. [bctt tweet="Part of fulfilling the call is to perform each assignment with excellence." username="dukematlock"] An assignment is, by definition, a task or duty to which one is appointed. You can be appointed to different positions in different seasons of life. I can guarantee you that your assignment will change; the thing you are doing right now will probably look different in ten years. But I can also guarantee you that God will give you a passion for your new assignment as well as the tools you need to accomplish your task well. God wants you to win; make sure you take advantage of every opportunity He gives you to do so.    

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