What will the Lord have you do in this life?  God desires that we surrender our lives to Him.  Death to self is the beginning of eternal life and we have a great example of that in our Savior Jesus Christ.  God called John Leland to preach His Word and Leland made sure of the matter – after he “fully surrendered” to the Lord.  There’s no better way to live than to live fully surrendered to His will, and, His way!

Surrenders to the call to preach

I finally surrendered, and devoted my time and talents to the work of the ministry, without any condition, evasion or mental reservation.  In myself, I have seen a rustic youth — unacquainted with men, manners and books; without the smallest prospects, or even the thought of gain or applause, turn out a volunteer for Christ, to contest with all the powers of darkness.  It is possible, however, that I have been deceived in the affair (for thousands are), but if I have been deceived, it was an error in my judgment.  A hypocrite, I was not; for, at that time, nothing could have tempted me to engage in the work, until I was moved by the Holy Ghost.  The greatest obstruction that I had, when undertaking the work, was this:  I did not believe that I had the longing desire and holy zeal for the salvation of sinners, that some preachers had; indeed, this was my heaviest trial for the first five years of my ministry.  I had, however, a love for the gospel and the gospel worship, and was pleased when I saw people turning to the Lord.*

* Under all the trials and temptations that I have passed through for twenty-six years, I have never felt guilty for undertaking to preach at the time when I began.  I cannot reproach myself with undertaking the work from any other motive than a real belief that it was my indispensable duty.  I might have been deceived; but a hypocrite I was not, so far as I have ever yet seen.  Yet, from the 20th June, 1774, until November, 1779 I had one general trial in my mind.  It was this:  I did not possess that strong desire for the conversion of sinners, that many others evidently had.  This made me fear that all was not right with me.” p.18