When I feel that nagging doubt, I remember that my pastoral role is not a passion, it is my calling. A passion lasts for about nine months, but a calling is for life. So I shake the doubt from my system, my mind, and my heart. I put my hand to the plow. I look back on all the things I have done as a pastor, the ministries I led and what they accomplished, the lives that have been transformed.

These things assure me that I'm on the right path. But I also take preventative measures against doubt. A leader who stops learning, stops leading. Pastors must go to workshops and seminars, read books, and keep their messages timely. As pastors proactively better themselves, their calling will stay fresh.