Recently I heard another pastor say that this year he had to make a decision about his ministry. He needed to decide whether it was time to resign or re-sign. As he said it, I made a quick note of his words. I mean, that one little dash is enormous.

A resignation is a decision to voluntarily quit what you are doing. In my experience, a few departures are forced. As in, “you either resign, or you will be fired.” Would you like to save face at this time? A few of them are the result of poor performance. You tried to be the best possible coach, and you are not talented enough in this situation, so you willingly give up. Many of the resignations I have witnessed were years in the making. A person had once worked diligently to make things happen, and then they began to coast. Eventually, they quit working altogether and tried to sail into the future off their past performance. Slowly the erosion of the past led to a change in the present. One day, after months, if not years, of nominal effort they throw in the towel and quit.

A determination to re-sign is entirely different. This is a statement to the world that you want to keep working. You are not giving up. You are going to give your best effort to make a better future. It involves a commitment to hard work.

In any form of service to the Lord, whether paid or unpaid, there comes a moment of truth. A time when you need to ask yourself if it is time to resign or re-sign. Are you riding your past work and hoping no one will notice? Are you willing to commit to working hard to make a better future? These are two completely different attitudes, and we must be honest about what is going on inside our hearts. Following God is not the work for half-hearted people to do with minimal effort.

There are days, months, seasons, and years in which it is essential to re-evaluate your level of commitment. Maybe now is one of those times. Perhaps you have been thinking about resignation, and God is providing opportunities for you to make a more significant impact. Are you up for the challenge? To me, there is nothing worse than someone who keeps going when they just want to quit. There is also nothing more powerful than people who are sold out on that they are doing. Is it time for you to resign or re-sign?

When I launched a new Church many years ago, I began by hiring a consultant to come to our location, do an analysis, and give me ideas to help us get started correctly. My newly hired associate hated the idea. This staff member came from the business world, and his experience with consultants was never positive. He explained to me that usually, a consultant was a person with all kinds of ideas about how things should be done, with little personal knowledge. Those who did have experience left the competitive business world years before for the security of a consulting business.

Recently I heard a preacher use a two-minute illustration that reminded me of that exact experience. He said, “the Church has no more need for Christian consultants.” Then he further explained, “You know what I am talking about? People with lots of ideas for everyone else to do, but little personal experience.” Immediately all those words from my associate filled my mind.

Consultants may have a place in the world, but their usefulness is limited. And yet, I have encountered numerous people who feel their God-given call is to be a Christian consultant. They no longer work in sales or development; instead, they fill their heads with ideas, and they enjoy telling other people what to do.

The Church needs disciples. It needs people who are fully devoted Christ-followers. It needs servants and shepherds. The Church has many needs, but it does not need more people whose idea of faith is merely telling other people what they can do better without doing it themselves. So before you instruct someone else on how they should live in faith, ask yourself, “Am I speaking from personal experience or being a consultant?”