“I had said yes to everything, for so long, that my body finally said no for me”
― Vivek Naik
Early in my ministry, I came to realize that people are our business. The recurring themes I heard from my teachers in college and from pastoral practitioners were:
- Put people first
- Love your people
- Be there when people need you
- Get out of the office and visit the flock
- People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
In each community I served, people told stories of their favourite pastor and how he/she paid attention to the needs of the congregation and community. Even now, I remember what I felt and thought – you’d better take the hint and perform just as well as, or better than, their heroes.
Seeking the congregation’s approval can make you feel holy, but that is not the case. Our identity and calling as shepherds go much deeper because we perform to an audience of One. We seek in all things to please Him in every area of our daily life and ministry, in harmony with these guiding principles:
- We are required to serve as shepherds, but not as fixers of people and problems
- We need to develop a priestly heart, as well as a prophetic mind and a noble hand
- Defusing situations often demands that we use few words, or none at all
- When criticized, we can choose to accept and seek understanding rather than bottling it inside
- Our identity in Christ is our anchor, not the approval of others
What about you?
Do you sometimes remain silent in a church leadership meeting for fear of upsetting things? Do you say yes too quickly to a request before considering other priorities on your lengthy to-do list? Do you too easily capitulate to the opinions of dominant individuals? Do you sometimes chide yourself for not taking a stand on something you strongly believe in? Do you try more to be nice than you do to tell/defend the truth? Do you blame yourself for the strong reaction you get from someone else when you say something out of a pure motive? Do you stay away from someone who is easily upset?
These could be indicators of an undue attachment to the approval of others, and a need to focus more on your identity in Jesus and nurturing relationships with trusted friends.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10, NIV)
