Tag: Pastoring

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The leader dilemma.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water. When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”). Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The backdrop to this moment in the Sinai desert is a classic, repetitive cycle of leadership. God appoints Moses to meet with Pharaoh demanding the release of the nation of Israel. Moses has a speech impediment, so God allows his brother, Aaron to do the talking. The ten plagues proceed. Eventually Pharaoh concedes and 3 million people exit Egypt and head out to the desert – no man’s land.

The first barrier to escaping the Egyptian army is water, lots of water, flowing down the Red Sea inlet of the Indian Ocean. And, God specifically told Moses where to lead and where to make camp, Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues the Israelites, finding them trapped by the Red Sea with no where to run. Here’s where it gets interesting. The people are scared to death, but they’ve also lived with fear for so long, they had adjusted to a slave-fear mentality. This fear was new. It was different. This was now a free-fear experience for them. They were free, but trapped. They lashed out at their leader! They cried out to God, but held Moses responsible saying, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt?” God brought them out. Sure, Moses led them under God’s direction, but Moses did not have a plan on what to do or where to go! This was all on God. The Israelites cross by God’s miraculous intervention. The Red Sea opened, they got across, but the ethos of the nation had not changed. They were free, but maintained a slave mentality! The end of Exodus 14 says, “They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.”

That faith was very thin and it only took them three more days to run out of it. Now three days out in the Desert, they find an oasis, but the water is bitter, un-drinkable. Three days from ocean to oasis, and it feels like a cruel joke. You can’t drink salt water and you can’t drink bitter water? The circumstances caused the same fears to come up and as expected, they blame Moses. Like Moses can make water in the desert.

Moses, being a quick study, immediately called out to God. This time God gave Moses a bit part in the miracle by showing him a specific piece of wood. Moses throws the wood in the water, the water turns sweet and the people drink all they want. But Moses also caught onto these situations and figured out they were life-lessons, living object lessons. Moses takes this opportunity to lay down some ground rules that are a precursor to the law, a way to live in obedience to God. He tells them something kinda strange, He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭26‬. What? Not suffer the diseases God sent on Israel? Were they thinking that God would drag them out to the desert to punish them and pour out His judgment on them? Apparently, Moses knew this is what the people were thinking?

The leader dilemma is not only carrying the responsibility to take people to a destination, but it’s also to help people grow, learn and develop along the way. And, as a godly leader, an under-shepherd, it’s also important to let people know that the leader doesn’t have all the answers. It is also the responsibility of the leader to communicate, that it is up to each individual person and together, as a community, to listen to God and obey Him.

By the way, the complaining, disbelief and blame from the people eventually got under Moses’ skin, because he reverted to his old angry ways of dealing with the injustice and inadequacies of being in stressful situations. This time it wasn’t killing an Egyptian officer, he tried to kill the rock, disobeying God (Numbers 20:8-11). Wasn’t it better that he smacked a rock rather than a rabble-rouser?

Prayer

​Dad,
Maybe it’s just me, but isn’t it a tad bit more difficult to live a life of faith and obedience when one has a bunch of people following? It often feels like pastoring in a church means that we don’t have a life of our own at all. It’s always open to the public! And the questions and complaints, wow – they seem unending. Do folks realize we’re just normal people with a calling and a passion to be obedient to you just as everyone else should be in the body of Christ. It’s just an enormous weight of responsibility. Maybe there’s a specific kind of grace for those who carry others? I’d like some more of that kind of grace please. Amen.

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Leaders carry extra loads.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Apostle Paul wouldn’t ask this for himself. But for others, like Timothy, Titus, and the local pastors and deacons in the church, he reminds them – honor their position. Great pastors do exactly what Paul writes about, they “WORK hard among!”

A few of the elders at my own church pretend to sniff me once in a while. When I give them a puzzled look, they say, “just making sure you smell like sheep!” It’s true, right? What shepherd doesn’t smell like those in their care. Paul uses the Greek word for “work hard,” kopiáō: exhausting labor – to labor until worn-out, depleted. It’s a physical and mental depletion. The New Living Translation says it’s because pastors give spiritual guidance, but Paul’s literal word is proístēmi: they are diligent to take the lead.

Why is leading so hard? And, why are leaders are harder to find in this current culture? Because of two reasons: One, whoever even thinks about leading observe how church folk treat pastors and decide, “it is not worth it!” Two, there is such a deficiency of trust that makes it ten times harder to lead change! I know, many might think pastors create their own moral sink-holes and deserve to go down in them. But think about it. What are pastors trying to escape from? Why are they making horrible choices in their personal lives? Maybe they’re just trying to fill the void, dull the pain, use the escape to get away from you (and the overwhelming emotional trauma of leading other humans in spiritual endeavors). Many of them have no emotional reserves, no margin because they’ve given it away to others. Who wants to live as an empty shell of a person?

Paul’s spirit-led wisdom tells the church, show them esteem – hēgéomai: a leader who carries important responsibility and hence “casts a heavy vote” (influence) – and hence deserve cooperation by those who are led. Again, NLT uses the word “respect,” but it it’s not just honoring them with a nod and a smile. It’s working with them, alongside them without ADDING to their load, but instead, helping lessen it! And, in this kind of esteem for them, we should show them a “hyper-love,” huper (beyond) love.

It’s also Paul’s last little admonishment that gets my attention. I think it should be emphasized! Paul writes, eiréneuó: to bring to peace, to be at peace with EACH OTHER! I don’t know the statistics on this, but an enormous amount of time and emotional energy is spent on trying to resolve or at least manage CONFLICT among church folks. Pastors beg of you… forgive, reconcile, stop gossiping about each other – be peacemakers rather than poop spreaders. That alone would go a long way in helping and respecting your pastor. Paul shares this out of love and his apostlistic responsibility. Pastors don’t just carry their own life, their own family and their own responsibilities. Remember, the “extra” load pastors carry…. is YOU and your family!

Prayer

Dad,
We need more pastors, not less. We need more men and women who seek this leadership responsibility in the Church, not less. In these days of spiritual recession, we need your grace even more. We need an outpouring of your Spirit to revolutionize our Z’s and Alpha’s to answer that calling to ministry. Could you supernaturally speak to them and call them up to leadership just like you did for me? Thank you!

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My portfolio.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.” Titus‬ ‭1:6-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I made a decision to follow Christ at fifteen and another decision to be a Pastor at seventeen. In both cases, I had no idea what I was really doing! I say that, not because I have regrets, only to remind myself that I was in over my head from the very beginning.

I had to learn so many things that should have come, let’s just say more naturally, from being raised in a stable home environment. I was not. I was awkwardly, socially delayed in many ways. And to the ways of God, the things of the Spirit – I was super naïve. I didn’t know Pastoring came with a predetermined job description that the Apostle Paul laid out for Titus and Timothy.

Robin and I were married and we did have children, but from there it seems it took half my life just to qualify for this calling. You realize that Titus and Timothy were likely NOT married when Paul wrote this letter. Paul believed in both these young men to the point that he assigned them to Pastor the churches in Corinth (for Titus) and Ephesus (for Timothy). These were not easy assignments!

Paul lists these qualifications for Pastoring, but ALL of them are character qualities – not educational, nor business accomplishments but packed full of acumens. Marriage and non-rebellious kids are listed first. The kids can’t be “asótia: wasteful nor anupotaktos: un-submitted, unruly.” The general idea is, “how can someone lead when they have no one to struggle with/fight against wills with?” Marriage, coupled with parenting has a way of stripping a person down to their core and hopefully allowing them to rebuild their life to love and lead with a framework of servitude. A wife/husband and children know more about you than anyone else in the world. You just can’t hide character flaws from these folks!

An overseer, (NLT, church leader) is simply a “oikonomos: the manager of a household.” So it makes sense that Paul says, just find someone who is already managing their own household well. The rest of the qualifications are about a temper, drunkenness, violent and dishonest with money. All of these, again, paint a picture of a good manager.

Paul, however, then lists more leadership qualities: hospitality, loving goodness, righteousness (dikaios: correct, righteous, by impl. innocent) and disciplined (egkratés: mastered from within, an inner strength). These go beyond management and speak more of someone transparent, positive, and focused on what’s godly. These are folks that are trustworthy to follow! Echoing Paul’s words to “follow me as I follow Christ.” As a Pastoral portfolio goes, this is not just a job, it’s a calling. It’s also a lifetime commitment to continue to grow and mature, not to just maintain the “look” of a leader, but increasing in faith and love.

Who aspires to be this kind of person? Who desires to manage and lead their own life as well as others? Without the calling and grace of God, you would be crazy to even attempt it! I am never really qualified, I am humbled to believe that God would use me to fulfill this assignment!

Prayer

Dad,
At the end of my time here on this broken earth, I hope to live up to Paul’s portfolio of a Pastor, an Overseer, and definitely an under-shepherd for those who gather and are called your Church. I would be happy to cross the finish line with a “well done, good and faithful servant.”