Craig Groeschel founded a megachurch that spans across 10 states, but there was once a time when his ordination to become a pastor was rejected.

The Life.Church founder and pastor opened up about his experience on Instagram, reminding people to keep believing in their God-given dreams.

“Friendly reminder to never give up on your dreams. One of the toughest seasons in my life was in my mid-twenties when I was rejected for ordination as a pastor,” he wrote. “My first time before the board of overseers, they explained that my ideas were too radical, my approach too unorthodox, and my passion was simply ‘over the top.’”

Groeschel was placed on probation.

“So instead of ordaining me with my class of peers, they put me on a one-year probation,” he wrote. “After another year of seminary, they would re-evaluate my potential to become an ordained pastor.”

The news was devastating for Groeschel.

“I distinctly remember driving home, sobbing in my little red Geo Prism. Now, there is crying and there is ugly crying,” he revealed. “I was unquestionably in ugly-snot-flinging-barely-breathing-ugly-crying mode. I felt like my whole life, everything I had lived for, was being stripped from me.”

However, the future preacher heard God in that low moment.

“That’s when I sensed the unmistakable presence of God. In that moment, I heard the words inside my heart,” he wrote. “You are not who others say you are. You are who I say you are. And I say you are called to serve me in ministry.”

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That’s when things turned around for him. The opinions of others didn’t matter to a young Groeschel anymore because, “God’s assurance was all I needed.”

He posted a photograph from the day of his ordination encouraging other people in the promises of God.

“Whenever you feel down or discouraged, remember, you are not who OTHERS say you are. You are not even what YOU think you are,” he said. “You are who GOD says you are. And He says you belong to Him. You have His Spirit. And you can do whatever He calls you to do by His power.”

He closed the message with the scripture 2 Corinthians 5:7 which states, “for we live by faith, not by sight.”

 

(Photo: via screengrab)