Center, Texas Aug 27, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - Faith & Culture | By Ellis Ward
For Jerry Lewis, purpose is not a slogan for motivational posters or business seminars. It is the foundation of a meaningful life, the difference between striving endlessly and resting securely in what God designed a person to do.
Your heart wont be fulfilled unless you are fulfilling your purpose, Lewis begins. Purpose doesnt need a paycheck. It doesnt chase validation. It doesnt demand attention. Purpose endures. Its longsuffering. It carries the power to prevail through pure perseverance. If you want to unlock your power, you must pursue your purpose.
He pauses, then adds with conviction, And friend, that purpose is always rooted in Christ. Theres an empty void in every heart, and its in the shape of Him. It can only be filled by God Himself.
The Difference Between Career and Calling
Lewis is particularly outspoken on one area where he believes this truth is often misunderstood: the pastorate. Too many, he argues, confuse ministry with career.
Sometimes I hear men refer to their pastoral role as their career, he says. Friend, a man chooses a career and he can change that career whenever he gets ready. But when God calls a man to pastor or preach, that man has no choice if he wants peace in his life.
Lewis notes that in Jeremiah 20:9, the prophet describes Gods word as a fire shut up in my bones a fire that compelled him to speak whether he wished to or not. Thats what calling feels like, Lewis explains. Its not convenient. Its consuming.
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By contrast, he says, there are career pastors who stepped into ministry because it fit their background, their familys tradition, or simply seemed like a respectable way to make a living. But a called pastor is different. Youll know him by his burden for Gods church, by his willingness to sacrifice himself for it. A career pastor will sacrifice the church for himself. A called pastor will sacrifice himself for the church.
Knowing God, Not Just Knowing About Him
Lewis stresses that the difference is not merely in knowledge, but in intimacy. Its not how well a man knows the Bible as a book, he reflects. Its how well he knows the God who wrote it.
He points to Jesus words in John 10:14: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. Thats relationship language, Lewis says. A shepherd doesnt just quote facts about his flock he lives with them, sacrifices for them, even lays down his life for them. Thats what a called pastor does. And thats what every believer is invited into with Christ Himself.
The Call to All Believers
Though his words may sound directed only at pastors, Lewis insists the principle applies to everyone. Every person, he says, has a God-given purpose that cannot be substituted with comfort, success, or applause.
Paul said in Philippians 3:14, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That wasnt about his career. That was about his purpose in Christ. And thats what keeps a man pressing on when it would be easier to quit.
He offers a simple challenge: Your past is not your present, but your present will determine how your past is remembered. If you want your life to count if you want to unlock the power Gods placed inside you dont chase a career, dont chase applause. Pursue your purpose. Pursue Christ.
A Voice from East Texas
In a town like Center, where tradition and faith run deep, Jerry Lewiss words cut against the grain of easy religion. Yet, his voice carries both urgency and hope. God isnt looking for perfect people, he says. Hes looking for people willing to be faithful. If youre separated unto Him, everything else will follow.
And with that, Lewis offers the kind of reminder that feels less like a lecture and more like an invitation: Friend, the question isnt what career youre building or what sins youre avoiding. The real question is are you fulfilling your purpose in Christ?
Ellis Ward
Source :Jerry Lewis Ministry
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.