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For years one of the key areas of request and interest that has been shared with me from pastors across the nation is that pastors need a pastor. Be that Senior pastors or any other pastors. So often we as leaders don't have a relationship with someone else that we can bounce our lives off of and they will still love us afterwards.
Looking for this person is not inherently wrong, but sometimes the heart in which we look sometimes can be. It's here, within that search, that finding true pastoral covering is so important.
Many of us in this "special" community of believers, don't come from families that encouraged us in our faith, many of us haven't had the mentors in our lives to embrace us as whole people let alone our spiritual callings and gifts. And there are still others of us who might have had that in our families, but they have gone on before us at this point and aren't here to give us that tender nudge of encouragement when we find ourselves down in the dumps.
We often seek to have our ministries validated by friends, other family members, or therapists.
We need to realize that ultimately, there is but only One who can provide us with the pastoral council and that is God himself. That does not mean all these others are insignificant. On the contrary; God uses them to fulfill His purpose for me.
Stay Committed to the Bride
God is asking us today to be committed to the Bride. To remain committed to HIS purpose for the Bride. No matter how disappointed you might become in the house of God or bummed out by the lack of support, no matter how many times your search for a Spiritual Father returns void, the Lord is asking you to look directly into His eyes, and not be distracted by what you "think" you might need from "man".
This is very hard when your emotions, gifting, and ego are on the line. When you begin to pray with this new awareness, you will start to see the benefits that you offer in shepherding a flock.
What is More Important?
I'm sure there are many who can recall
countless times when you have put your heart out in the open, made yourself
vulnerable to be loved, nurtured and supported in your ministry. All to
find the walls of safety around you collapsing and crashing into you.
It's easy to run into yourself, your inner corners of darkness and secrecy and
hide as a means of protecting yourself from more pain or vulnerability.
How many times have we found ourselves becoming angry at the "Bride"
or possibly coming close to it?
God would ask you, "What is more important?" being fathered by man or
fathered by Him.
No Perfect Pastors Except God
I don't believe that any pastor knows how to mentor perfectly. We need
to understand that our expectations of pastors can be mostly what our flesh
feels we need. Many of us are restless souls. And that makes us
difficult to pastor well.
What would God say? Is God in control of your destiny or is getting
approval or fathering from your pastor worth more? Are we running to get
His opinion before someone elses?
I have come to find that when I run to God first, I submit to my pastor better
and can handle what they can or cannot give to me with grace and humility.
I encourage all pastors and leaders out there to stay focused on God's heart and
keep inquiring of the Lord how to mentor like He does, pastor like He does, and
love like He does. If we all did that as a team…wow…what would our churches
look like…not to mention our worship?
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