Home » No One’s Born to Preach: The Myth and Truth of Pulpit ‘Gifting’

No One’s Born to Preach: The Myth and Truth of Pulpit ‘Gifting’

This article is for young men who aspire to preach but doubt their own abilities.

I have in mind men who have discovered that good preaching has changed their lives and fed their souls. Miraculously, you — one who was born in sin — have come to love the word of God, and the gospel of Christ, and the preached word, and in you is a growing desire to preach it yourself. But you’re not sure. You may even have serious doubts. Are you “gifted” to do the work of preaching?

First, let me say that such humility is a good place to start. I would rather take a preacher who started here, in self-doubt, than one with roaring, prideful confidence in his public-speaking abilities. If your head is on straight, and not swollen with conceit, you will have some doubts, holy doubts. You will doubt your own ability. Preaching is a high calling, and God uses this means so powerfully in his work in the world (Ephesians 3:8–10). And preaching is so personal, and personally revealing of the preacher himself, that you’d be a fool, sinner that you are, to not have hesitations.

So,somedoubtsaregoodandvital—andwillbeenduring,evenasconfidencegrowsovertime.ButotherdoubtsGodmeanstoovercomein