Proper 19
Devotional
Pause Before The Pulpit
Personal Reflections For Pastors On The Lectionary Readings
Mark 8:27-38
How easy it is for any of us to fall into the same trap that Peter fell in; where we set our minds on human things rather than on divine things. That is, of course, the most natural thing for us to do, because of our inherited, sinful, human nature.
Jesus had to rebuke Peter for thinking incorrectly. How about you? Who is able to rebuke you when you think incorrectly?
One of the inherent risks of being a pastor is building up a wall of authority and control, whereby no one is able to hold us accountable and rebuke us. This is dangerous, for if our leaders are not allowed (or better yet -- encouraged) to hold us accountable and rebuke us when we are thinking incorrectly, then we become untouchable. No longer are we team players, for we have isolated ourselves behind a veil of either absolute authority (where no one dares challenge us) or invisible existence (where no one has a clue what we are doing). Both scenarios can inflict serious damage on our church and will likely destroy our reputation.
Many pastors who fit one of the above scenarios, often carry this same mentality and behavior into the home. Their spouse is treated the same way, whereby they are not allowed to hold their husband or wife accountable, or rebuke them. Any attempts to do so are met with intimidation, severe rebuke, or the silent treatment. A marriage where at least one spouse does not have the freedom to rebuke the other spouse, and hold them accountable, is really no marriage at all. It is a contract where one spouse agrees to be controlled and manipulated by the other until "death do us part." If the "death" does not take place physically, it most certainly will emotionally, which is a miserable way for a husband and wife to live out their days in marriage. Not to mention it is a poor example to the church of what a godly marriage should look like.
Equally as damaging is the pastor who refuses to be held accountable and rebuked by his/her children. Children who have the freedom to hold their parents accountable, whether to promises they've made or to values in the home, grow up to be much healthier emotionally and have much better relationships with their parents and other authority figures. Those who don't have this freedom become angry with their parents, for they feel powerless to express their feelings. They become especially angry with the controlling parent, but also with the other parent, for they feel if anyone should be able to rebuke the controlling parent, it is the other adult in the home. When this doesn't happen, the child feels even more powerless, for what chance do they, a child, have of rebuking a parent who is in the wrong if another adult can't? As a result, the anger, rebellion, and possibly withdrawal, become more intense.
If we want to be pastors, spouses, and parents who are loved, respected, and effective, then we will make sure that at least someone knows they can hold us accountable and rebuke us when we are thinking incorrectly. Ideally, I believe at least one trusted individual in the church, plus our spouse and all of our children, should have the freedom to rebuke us, and they need to know that we want them to do this. But they also must know that we draw the line at disrespect and destructive criticism. If we encourage them to use the biblical principles in Ephesians 4:15 and 29, we will be helped by their words of rebuke and our relationship with them will deepen and strengthen.
Peter grew in knowledge of his Lord and in character that day when the Lord rebuked him. Rebuke and accountability from people we trust and love can do the same for us.
May this also encourage us to do the same for others. Our spouse and children need to be held accountable and rebuked, from time to time, as much as we do; as do our church leaders and parishioners. When we do this from a heart of love and humility, as Jesus did, much good can come from times that are otherwise tense and often painful.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Please help me to swallow my pride and allow others to hold me accountable and rebuke me when necessary. Please help me to do this tactfully with others, whether in the church or at home. Thank you. Amen.
James 3:1-12
The first verse in our text is sobering, indeed. Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. Because of this verse, I wouldn't get up to preach and teach again if it weren't for Christ's promise that he will give us the words to say when we need them.
Having said that, however, a wise pastor never forgets how easy it is for things to slip out of his/her mouth that he/she shouldn't say. James said that all of us make many mistakes. That's not a fun thought, but it is the truth. Some of the worst mistakes pastors make are with their tongues. James couldn't have used a better illustration when referring to the damage that the tongue can do. I see several ways that a pastor's tongue can set forest fires in his/her ministry.
The most serious is preaching and teaching false doctrines or giving people false hope. Jesus said: If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6). That's how seriously Jesus takes it when we say or do something that would cause someone to stumble spiritually. How important it is to prayerfully prepare our sermons and Bible studies and always base them on God's Word. I've been amazed at how hungry people are for sound, biblical teaching. People today want to know what God's Word says, what it means, and how it applies to their lives. They don't want the opinions of others or nice, sentimental stories. They want something they can sink their intellectual and spiritual "teeth" into. Let's not disappoint them.
There's another way we can start fires and that is by using our loved ones (or people from the church) in illustrations without first getting their permission. This is a good way to ensure a cold and silent ride home after church and to lose the trust and confidence of people in our church.
Another way that we can start fires with our tongues is to talk about people behind their backs. I live in fear of this all the time, as these opportunities can catch us off guard. We might be having an innocent conversation with someone when they ask: "Oh, Pastor, I've been meaning to ask you; how's so and so?" Or sometimes it is the "innocent" prayer request: "How can I be praying for so and so?" And before we know it, we have shared more than we should. God help us to think before we speak, and to know how to respectfully withhold information from people who don't have a right to it.
Yet another way that we can start fires in our congregation is through our humor. I have a sanguine personality, which means I'm prone to talk too much, and much of the talking I do is for fun. I love to make people laugh! I love to kid around with people. And as a result, I have put my foot in my mouth countless times. Oh, how I constantly need to pray that God would put a filter over my lips so that I can still be a fun guy, but without saying things that I will regret, or that others might find offensive.
I can't possibly touch on all the ways that we as pastors can start fires in our churches and homes with our tongues, but one last one, in closing, is how we talk to our family in public. I have been appalled at how some pastors talk to their spouses and children in the presence of others. They shouldn't talk that way to them in the home, much less in public or in the church. What we say to our spouses and children, and how we say it, makes lasting impressions on all who hear. Are these lasting impressions building people's respect for us and giving them good examples to follow, or just the opposite?
May we begin each day by asking God to help us speak only what he wants us to speak, for his sake and the good of others.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
How quickly I can start fires with my tongue! I ask you to please forgive me for when I have. Help me today, to say only that which will help others and bring honor and glory to you. Thank you. Amen.
How easy it is for any of us to fall into the same trap that Peter fell in; where we set our minds on human things rather than on divine things. That is, of course, the most natural thing for us to do, because of our inherited, sinful, human nature.
Jesus had to rebuke Peter for thinking incorrectly. How about you? Who is able to rebuke you when you think incorrectly?
One of the inherent risks of being a pastor is building up a wall of authority and control, whereby no one is able to hold us accountable and rebuke us. This is dangerous, for if our leaders are not allowed (or better yet -- encouraged) to hold us accountable and rebuke us when we are thinking incorrectly, then we become untouchable. No longer are we team players, for we have isolated ourselves behind a veil of either absolute authority (where no one dares challenge us) or invisible existence (where no one has a clue what we are doing). Both scenarios can inflict serious damage on our church and will likely destroy our reputation.
Many pastors who fit one of the above scenarios, often carry this same mentality and behavior into the home. Their spouse is treated the same way, whereby they are not allowed to hold their husband or wife accountable, or rebuke them. Any attempts to do so are met with intimidation, severe rebuke, or the silent treatment. A marriage where at least one spouse does not have the freedom to rebuke the other spouse, and hold them accountable, is really no marriage at all. It is a contract where one spouse agrees to be controlled and manipulated by the other until "death do us part." If the "death" does not take place physically, it most certainly will emotionally, which is a miserable way for a husband and wife to live out their days in marriage. Not to mention it is a poor example to the church of what a godly marriage should look like.
Equally as damaging is the pastor who refuses to be held accountable and rebuked by his/her children. Children who have the freedom to hold their parents accountable, whether to promises they've made or to values in the home, grow up to be much healthier emotionally and have much better relationships with their parents and other authority figures. Those who don't have this freedom become angry with their parents, for they feel powerless to express their feelings. They become especially angry with the controlling parent, but also with the other parent, for they feel if anyone should be able to rebuke the controlling parent, it is the other adult in the home. When this doesn't happen, the child feels even more powerless, for what chance do they, a child, have of rebuking a parent who is in the wrong if another adult can't? As a result, the anger, rebellion, and possibly withdrawal, become more intense.
If we want to be pastors, spouses, and parents who are loved, respected, and effective, then we will make sure that at least someone knows they can hold us accountable and rebuke us when we are thinking incorrectly. Ideally, I believe at least one trusted individual in the church, plus our spouse and all of our children, should have the freedom to rebuke us, and they need to know that we want them to do this. But they also must know that we draw the line at disrespect and destructive criticism. If we encourage them to use the biblical principles in Ephesians 4:15 and 29, we will be helped by their words of rebuke and our relationship with them will deepen and strengthen.
Peter grew in knowledge of his Lord and in character that day when the Lord rebuked him. Rebuke and accountability from people we trust and love can do the same for us.
May this also encourage us to do the same for others. Our spouse and children need to be held accountable and rebuked, from time to time, as much as we do; as do our church leaders and parishioners. When we do this from a heart of love and humility, as Jesus did, much good can come from times that are otherwise tense and often painful.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Please help me to swallow my pride and allow others to hold me accountable and rebuke me when necessary. Please help me to do this tactfully with others, whether in the church or at home. Thank you. Amen.
James 3:1-12
The first verse in our text is sobering, indeed. Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. Because of this verse, I wouldn't get up to preach and teach again if it weren't for Christ's promise that he will give us the words to say when we need them.
Having said that, however, a wise pastor never forgets how easy it is for things to slip out of his/her mouth that he/she shouldn't say. James said that all of us make many mistakes. That's not a fun thought, but it is the truth. Some of the worst mistakes pastors make are with their tongues. James couldn't have used a better illustration when referring to the damage that the tongue can do. I see several ways that a pastor's tongue can set forest fires in his/her ministry.
The most serious is preaching and teaching false doctrines or giving people false hope. Jesus said: If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6). That's how seriously Jesus takes it when we say or do something that would cause someone to stumble spiritually. How important it is to prayerfully prepare our sermons and Bible studies and always base them on God's Word. I've been amazed at how hungry people are for sound, biblical teaching. People today want to know what God's Word says, what it means, and how it applies to their lives. They don't want the opinions of others or nice, sentimental stories. They want something they can sink their intellectual and spiritual "teeth" into. Let's not disappoint them.
There's another way we can start fires and that is by using our loved ones (or people from the church) in illustrations without first getting their permission. This is a good way to ensure a cold and silent ride home after church and to lose the trust and confidence of people in our church.
Another way that we can start fires with our tongues is to talk about people behind their backs. I live in fear of this all the time, as these opportunities can catch us off guard. We might be having an innocent conversation with someone when they ask: "Oh, Pastor, I've been meaning to ask you; how's so and so?" Or sometimes it is the "innocent" prayer request: "How can I be praying for so and so?" And before we know it, we have shared more than we should. God help us to think before we speak, and to know how to respectfully withhold information from people who don't have a right to it.
Yet another way that we can start fires in our congregation is through our humor. I have a sanguine personality, which means I'm prone to talk too much, and much of the talking I do is for fun. I love to make people laugh! I love to kid around with people. And as a result, I have put my foot in my mouth countless times. Oh, how I constantly need to pray that God would put a filter over my lips so that I can still be a fun guy, but without saying things that I will regret, or that others might find offensive.
I can't possibly touch on all the ways that we as pastors can start fires in our churches and homes with our tongues, but one last one, in closing, is how we talk to our family in public. I have been appalled at how some pastors talk to their spouses and children in the presence of others. They shouldn't talk that way to them in the home, much less in public or in the church. What we say to our spouses and children, and how we say it, makes lasting impressions on all who hear. Are these lasting impressions building people's respect for us and giving them good examples to follow, or just the opposite?
May we begin each day by asking God to help us speak only what he wants us to speak, for his sake and the good of others.
A Pastor's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
How quickly I can start fires with my tongue! I ask you to please forgive me for when I have. Help me today, to say only that which will help others and bring honor and glory to you. Thank you. Amen.
