I can sense your anguish and confusion. You seem to have a true desire to serve the Lord, but sin in your life, and the influence of others cause you to doubt your ability to serve. Let’s look at these things in your life.

You say you have faults that ‘pull you back’ and cause you to think you are not worthy to serve the Lord. You did not say what these ‘faults’ are, but I assume you are speaking of sins in your life. 1 John 1:9 assures us, “If we CONFESS our sins, he is faithful and just to FORGIVE us our sins, and to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness.” This verse is for believers, those who are already saved. When we sin, we should CONFESS that sin to the Lord immediately. When we truly confess from a repentant heart, the Lord will FORGIVE us of that sin. Not only that, He will also CLEANSE us of the stain of that sin and make us clean. I encourage you to be on your knees before the Lord, confessing your sins. Do you have reoccurring sins? Confess that to the Lord also. Confess that you have allowed sin in your life to happen over and over. In this case, you should confess your desire for that particular sin and ask the Lord to take that desire from you. Take sin seriously! The Lord hates ALL SIN. Think about that before you do things you know the Lord does not allow. Ephesians 5:3 tells us, “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it NOT BE ONCE NAMED among you, as becometh saints.”

Others are encouraging you to get a job, but you want to serve the Lord. Is there a reason you cannot do both? All believers are called to be servants of the Lord. The Lord has a purpose and plan for each one of us. The believers in Thessalonica were commended because they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9) According to the language of this verse, all the believers in this city devoted themselves to service for the Lord. We should serve the Lord in whatever we do. We read in Colossians 3:23-24, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, AS TO THE LORD, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for YE SERVE THE LORD CHRIST.”

Even as a young man, the Lord can use you if you put yourself in His hands. Do you desire to teach God’s Word? Learn God’s Word so that the Spirit of God might bring to mind the proper scriptures to use to minister to others. Do you desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others? Wonderful. The Lord tells all believers to “do the work of an evangelist.” (2 Timothy 4:5) You do not need a pulpit to teach God’s Word or to do the work of an evangelist. Many more souls have been led to the Lord and taught God’s Word by private one-on-one work than have even been reached from a pulpit. Are you sharing Christ right now, or are you waiting for someone’s permission or ‘ordination’ to serve the Lord? The Apostle Paul, when sharing his credentials as an apostle, said this in Galatians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;). Man did not make him an apostle, the Lord did. Men do not call other men to service. The Lord does.

Serve the Lord right now in whatever capacity He calls you. Let’s consider Acts 13:2, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Before the Lord called Barnabas and Saul (later Paul) out to a particular service, they were already serving the Lord where they were at. Serve the Lord now. If He should call you to a different work later, be obedient to His leading. I don’t think the Lord calls many ‘idle’ workers to greater service. Serve Him now as He leads. (238.8)