I Challenge You This Year

This may be one of the most important posts I have ever written.

“Prayer does not equip us for greater works,

Prayer is the greater work.”

Oswald Chambers 

My Utmost for His Highest

Every Saturday evening I try to post this on face book and twitter:

 From Precept Ministries

So many of my friends are in the ministry, married to a minister or at least attend a church. I ache for those in ministry as I often read about sin taking over their lives. I’ve been there. I’ve lived that. It’s devastating and in hindsight, I wish I would have asked more people to pray for me. For us.

So as we begin a new year, I challenge you, dear reader, to take time each week – I’m not even asking that you do this daily – but if you think of it - that would be good, too. But weekly - pray for your Pastor and his family. (I’m going old school with my grammar here and “his” is generic for his/her.) (Please, don’t criticize my use of “his.”)

Each time you think of someone in ministry just shoot up a special prayer.

These are the people we depend on for so much – then when they show us their human side – we turn on them so quickly.

I don’t now and never have believed we should put those in ministry on a pedestal. We should never judge them – but hold them accountable in love just as we would one another.

I don’t expect more from my Pastor’s than I do from myself in my Christian walk. Do you? Are you expecting this human with flesh and bones to be more than you are or are willing to become?  Give them more understanding. Give them more of your encouragement. And Prayer. Say more prayers for them. Because not everyone treats them as if they are human. Many expect them to be more.

More spiritual. More pure. More perfect.

They are men called by God. But still in their human bodies making human decisions with the help of God. Just like you and I.

We are a critical people. It’s so easy to pick on that person speaking from the pulpit. It’s so easy to be critical of the one leading our youth - Leading our children. 

So my challenge is for you to pray for our Ministers – our Pastors. Write it on your calendar if you have a hard time remembering them. Write them on your prayer request list if you have one

JUST REMEMBER

 pray for your pastor and family.

Have You Seen Him Naked?

Ahhh. The Preacher. Pastor. Minister. Call him what you want - his job is one of the hardest in the world. 

The person that stands behind the pulpit every Sunday morning has dedicated his life to sharing Jesus.

He is to be respected. 

But, OMGosh... Did you SEE what he wore to preach in this week?

Did you by any chance watch how his kids were acting last week?

Can you BELIEVE his wife doesn't play the piano?

He doesn't say enough.

He says waay too much.

His sermon was too long.

He doesn't preach long enough.. - 
says no one - ever....

He should take the log out of his eye..... 

oh, excuse me, I can't see you . 

There's something in my eye.

He's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good.

He is certainly not spiritual enough.

WHAT WAS HE THINKING??

How often do you have "roast" for Sunday dinner? Roast Preacher I mean.... It's so easy to do. Because no one can meet everyone's needs completely 100% of the time.  What do YOUR kids hear you say about the preacher? What do your friends hear you say?

He's a man that has been called into a privileged work. But it's also a work that puts him under constant scrutiny. And lets face it, he's not Jesus. Do I hear an amen???

Two older sayings I think of while expounding on this subject: 1)he puts his pants on one leg at a time. 2) he looks the same naked as any other man. 

He really is the very same as any other man. God created him the same as he created you. He (God) has called you to be a Christian. He (God) has called your minister to be a Christian. See him (your preacher) as God sees him. A man that is still growing, still trying, still sharing the Gospel. Sometimes he makes a mistake. Sometimes he gets it right. It's up to Y.O.U. to make sure he is encouraged, loved and forgiven. After all, that's what you want others to do for you, right?

If you have heard me say anything negative about the preacher - forgive me. I want to be an encourager. I want to see my ministers the way God sees them.

Prayer is the work of the church.

Let's do our part and pray.

Pray DAILY for your Ministers.

It's what God expects.