Thank You

Anne Jackson, one of my favorite bloggers, asked the question today on her blog (www.flowerdust.net): What is "One thing you would tell the Church Leader/Pastor World."

As I thought about the question initially, my mind began to draft a list of thoughts and advice. I would love to say that this list was composed with love and grace, but in all honesty, my original thoughts came from a place of judgement, correction, and even a little unprocessed hurt. A few moments into this foolishness, I became overwhelmed by the selfishness of my thoughts and I began to think about the incredible challenge and responsibility of being in a leader/pastor role.

We all need to be held accountable to what God has given us, and there are certainly times that correction is necessary. However, when most of our time is spent critiquing every move a leader makes instead of encouraging them or holding them up in prayer, I believe we are in error. Leadership is God given. This does not mean that we do not question a leader or hold them accountable, but we must balance this with trust in God's sovereignty.

As I spent more time thinking about the question, I was left with an incredible sense of thankfulness. Here is my response.

Dear Pastor/Leader, Thank you for taking your role seriously. Thank you for working hard to maintain your personal health and integrity, so that you don’t distract us from the gospel. Thank you for pouring out your life to teach us truth and show us what it looks like to live the Way of Jesus. Thank you for constantly studying and striving to teach us and lead us in a way that is consistent with God’s Word. Thank you for the sacrifices you make that go unseen. Thank you for pointing us back to the cross. Thank you for admitting your mistakes and being confident enough to stand for what is right. I’m sure you have plenty of people around you to tell you where you don’t measure up, and I just want to say thank you. Continue to find your strength and peace in knowing that God loves you and He has put you where you are on purpose.

I encourage you to take the time everyday to pray for your pastors/leaders. They need it, and if you are like me, so do you.