As I begin to expand in consulting brothers and sisters in ministry, I am hearing several comments that have woven their way into the mindset of many pastors. Here are “4 Catastrophic Comments Contemporary Pastors Tell Themselves”
1. “I Deserve More”. There is nothing wrong with wanting more for your ministry, church, and those you serve, but the line is crossed when a person feels theydeserve more than what they have. God has you in the place you serve for a reason. The belief that youdeserve more reeks of suggesting the place God has you is not good enough, which reeks of suggesting God doesn’t know what’s best for you. Statistically, most pastors will never pastor a church over 150-200. Friend, considering our wretchedness, it is a privilege to have a healthy church of any size, operative word being “healthy”.
2. “My Preaching is Enough”. We get it, you can “say it”, but anyone who has been a pastor understands it takes much more than great preaching to shepherd a flock. The reality is, the average seminarian is not taught leadership, which is essential to mobilizing, and sustaining a group of people. Be careful not to judge your preaching prowess on how you are received at someone else’s church. A guest is typically well-received because he is a different voice and preaches a sure-fire hit. Those shouts and “amens” feel good for immediate gratification, but those folks don’t have to listen to you every week. Your flock hears you every week. Are they changing? Are they being moved toward discipleship? More importantly, are people being saved?
3. “I Am ‘More Different’ Than Everyone Else”. I often hear from church planters how their church is “different” from any other. Be careful in claiming difference. Jesus in His wisdom, did not give us a detailed blueprint on what his church should look like so what are you comparing yourself to when you say “different”? Do you mean “better than”? Or perhaps “more relaxed”? The reality is your church is different from what YOU have been exposed to, but as creative as we are, there are churches all over the world. Someone else has probably done what you are doing. Also, I hate to burst bubbles, but EVERYONE says they are different. No one starts a church and says, “It’s going to be more of the same”. I even heard one preacher say, “Yeah, but we are MORE different” which leads me to the next comment…
4. “I Don’t Need Formal Education”. Let me say immediately, formal education does not, and never will, replace the move of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God is the most important aspect of ministry. Period. A formal education does help in several areas. It helps discipline the preacher and exposes him to schools of thought he might not otherwise encounter. A formal education develops the preacher in his critical thinking and may develop him in areas of weakness (such as earning an MBA could help the pastor become a better administrator). Finally, a formal education, coupled with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, stretches the preacher and congregation to go deeper into the scriptures and become mature in handling the word of God.
There are a couple of honorable mention comments such as “I’m not into the Denominational thing” and “I started this church to reach the lost”. Those two I have to reserve for emails of their own.
Let me know your thoughts,
-ACobbs
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