Category Archives: Random Thoughts

How Did You Get Here?

I’m not ususally one to reminisce about the past. I did often think that it was a sign of not growing, just looking back at the “good old days.” The mentality of today is to keep your eyes on the future, your dreams, your hope, and your goals. But there is value in looking back. After all, “this is your life. Are you who you want to be?” (song by Switchfoot).

We should look back to connect the dots of where we have been to where we are now.  We look back to help explain how we came to the place that we are now (physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually). The bible does this a lot. Each gospel account of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) describes how things started out or how Jesus fulfilled prophecy of hundreds of years before. The Bible as a whole is a story, a narrative of the development of humanity and God.  My favorite New Testament book, Ephesians, does this right from the beginning. Paul talks about how he was an apostle “by the will of God.” Paul talks about how God has worked from the beginning of time for our salvation.  Paul is connecting the dots for us. And I like how Paul puts it in Ephesians 2:10. Check out the NIV and Message version:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)

“No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” (MESSAGE)

This passage talks about our lives before Christ and how God has brought us salvation.  It also talks about what this salvation then brings.  Salvation is not the end.  It’s a point along a great journey.  For those of us who believe in Christ as the Lord of our lives and the Savior of our sins, we are God’s piece of work.  Each day is not just “another day, another dollar.” Each year is not to be a repeat of the one before.  Events, experiences, and relationships all play into God working in us, through us and with us to do the things He has already designed and prepared for us to do.

That blows my mind to think that not only does He care and love enough to die for my sins, but He cares and loves enough to work with me, develop me and allow me to be a part of His great work. Look back over this past year and see the events, experiences, relationships and things you’ve learned that helped shape you into what you believe and why you are who you are today.  These things will help drive your desires and passions.  These things help you understand and watch for the experiences, opportunities and relationships that God could be preparing you to do His great work in this next year.  And if you want to get crazy, begin to look further back in your life to see God’s handiwork in you over the long haul and perhaps, even over the generations.

Books That Shaped Me In 2011

Here are some books that I really enjoyed and that helped shape my thinking in 2011, in no particular order.

Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley

Weird by Craig Groeschel

Soul Print by Mark Batterson

Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli

First Time Dad by John Fuller

Ephesians by Paul and God

Honorable Mentions:

Wired to Care by Dev Patnaik

Read the Bible for Life by George Guthrie

Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud

When The Ones You Like Leave…

One of the harder things to work through is when someone you really like or love leave you. It could be that they have passed away.  It could be that they are divorcing you and connecting with someone else.  It could even be that they moved away to do ministry work somewhere else.

This last example is perhaps one that everyone, who has been involved in a church, has experienced. Most pastors (youth, associate, children’s, senior, missionary…) stay at a church or mission field for an average of 4 to 5 years and leave for many reasons. Most pastors will work at 4 to 5 different churches in their lifetime, if they continue (8 out of 10 will drop out of ministry before they reach retirement age). On top of that, some research suggests that a pastor is most effective between year 5 and 14. With the church seemingly on “decline,” it probably isn’t a coincidence of the two. When the ones you like, leave, it can hurt emotionally and spiritually.

I remember when I was in High School, my youth pastor left to lead another church and it was a sad moment at the time for me. A few years later, the senior pastor of that church left to pastor somewhere else.  During my last year at graduate school, the senior pastor at the church I was attending resigned after a long and legacy tenure. After graduating from school, I planned to help a church planter continue the two year old plant until he suddenly announced to the small church that he was quitting. He ended up just leaving that church to dissolve. After moving to Massachusetts, the lead pastor at the church I was attending left a few years later. He had been there for less than 10 years and followed a pastor who failed morally.  A few years later, I left that church as well. There were many different reasons these all happened, but they happened. I have experienced and seen these leavings often hinder spiritual growth in many people. Everyone I talk to can share many stories and their results. So is this something we just have to come to grips with?

I believe there are a few things to notice long before and even if a pastor does leave.

Some pastors leave because they don’t know what else to do. They can feel as though they are not being effective in that church or region.

To be honest, maybe they are not a great fit for that region or church.  Or perhaps they feel that they have done all they can do with their learned “bag of tricks” and it’s time for someone to build greater things upon their work. Or perhaps they don’t fully understand what their gifts are, how they are wired to work and what weaknesses they need to be aware of. Or perhaps they are simply mistaken in thinking that they are not being effective.

Pastors are often “sensitive” individuals who felt the call of God to lead and take care of His people. God uses that sensitivity and background for them to be in “tune” with those they lead. They desire to help people just like they were helped out. That same sensitive heart can drive their excitement and joy in Christ or it can bruised, causing a hardened heart to respond to their followers and the work of God with resentment. Seeing and hearing people grow in Christ are huge ways to encourage and incite pastors to remain in the joy of God’s work. Standing in support of the pastor as a person without the constant stressing oversight allows the pastor to be led more by the Spirit of God than by human “leanings” to perform in certain ways.

Giving a pastor room to grow in Christ himself is the pastor who leads from the overflow of that personal growth. They will always be in tune with new ways of connecting and understanding people, and new ways of understanding and applying God’s word because it is a constant part of their own personal life. Give leaders time and space and help during their growth. They are humans just like everyone else and they need to grow just like everyone else. There are many ways to encourage and it is my hope to be able to encourage; and teach churches and pastors how to encourage by the beginning of this next year.

Some people’s spiritual growth was too heavily laid on that one person.

Let us be honest. Each of one of us are primarily responsibility for our own spiritual growth.  We can’t blame someone else for our lack of growth if we treat our private time with God with such great neglect. Growing in our understanding and relationship with God can increase with pastors, accountability partners and other spiritual leaders, but should not waver so drastically when they leave. Be actively involved in Scripture reading, meditation, prayer, service and other Christian disciplines.  It’s too easy to find yourself completely busy, disconnected and doing little for God and with God.

Pastors, missionaries and spiritual leaders can also contribute to this from happening by working better with a team and highlighting the benefits of one another. Many often claim that it is lonely at the top and I wonder if this is partly due to their own crafting of how they work and design the ministry (putting themselves alone at the “top”)? Other times, many are so busy with their own work that they are simply left alone rather than working together or at least encouraging one another. I also see pastors, missionaries and spiritual leaders put too much pressure on themselves to make certain spiritual responses happen from their followers.  When the responses don’t happen, they react. These reactions have hurt followers or made the leader feel as though they are not being effective within that church or region. Not to lessen the responsibility placed on spiritual leaders by God, but there must be a balance and a reminder that they are co-laborers with Christ. Just as much as people shouldn’t rely on one person for their spiritual growth, pastors shouldn’t rely simply on their own efforts to complete God’s work.

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There are many more things that could be added to this list and perhaps I’ve stirred the pot a little. I would welcome your additional thoughts and even share your own stories.  I do know this: each decision made by a pastor, missionary or spiritual leader to leave has not been an easy one.  Each pastor, missionary and spiritual leader takes their calling very seriously. Not every decision to leave is made for the wrong reason.  Not every transition turns bad. In the end, it is my prayer that every pastor, missionary, spiritual leader and every follower of Christ will continue doing the work of God and will grow in their own spiritual walk with Him especially when the ones they like, leave.