Prescription For The Insecure Pastor
Let me start this article with a confession. There are many days as a leader and as a pastor that I feel insecure about my person and my performance! There, I said it!
Yes, it’s true that I have been the Lead Pastor at one church for almost thirty years. Yes, I am known as the pastor who is willing to intentionally send people, money, and leaders with church planters to help establish a new church. We have now done that over thirty times over the years.
But insecurity creeps up on every leader, no matter who you are. For me, I recognize I am more vulnerable to this when:
I preach a message that doesn’t connect like I hope that it would.
I pursue an idea that does not work like I thought it would.
I am fatigued.
Someone leaves my church for all the right reasons. For instance, God has called them to help plant a church and I have given my full blessing. It can still be a bit unsettling!
Someone leaves my church for all the wrong reasons, and unloads all their hurt and damage on me.
Another leader seems to be having greater results that I am currently having.
Someone criticizes me, whether out of a good heart and with the right spirit or just because they are cranky and mad.
Should I go on? All of these moments are times when my sense of self is challenged as a pastor and leader. Now, before you think that I am an emotional wreck, and that maybe I need to take a break or get some counseling, I want to state that most days I am secure in who I am in Christ!
I know that God loves me, accepts me, and I feel His pleasure on me. I realize that some of the things that make me feel insecure are not coming out of a good perspective. I have learned how to come back to a place of health and truth. But I need to be honest about what we all feel, so that if you are feeling these things too, you will realize that you are not alone.
Pastors and leaders are especially feeling fatigued, alone, vulnerable and insecure after the challenges of the last twelve months. So let me encourage you by taking you to some truth statements that set me free.
#1 - I Have What God Has Assigned Me To Have!
There is a moment recorded for us in John 3 that is so inspiring to me. Here’s the context. John the Baptist has reached the pinnacle of his ministry effectiveness. Multitudes are gathering at his outdoor meetings. Thousands have been baptized in water under his ministry. Historic sinners are turning their lives around.
Then Jesus shows up. John baptizes him in water and then points to Him as the MESSIAH!
As the crowds left him and started to follow Jesus, John’s disciples expressed concern. ‘Master,’ they complain 'Everyone who was attending our church has now left us to follow this new guy! (my paraphrase) - What are you going to do about it?” And John answered:
“A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.” John 3:27-28
Did you hear that? A person can only have what heaven has assigned to them. You can’t have any more than what heaven has assigned to your life. You can’t have anything less than what heaven has assigned for you to have either! No one can steal your God-given assignment. So relax! All of this is up to God.
#2 - I Am Not The Messiah! I Only Point People To Him!
That is such a healthy thing to recognize. In fact, maybe you should pause before you read any further and say aloud several times just so that your ears can hear it. ‘I AM NOT THE MESSIAH!’
John recognized his role in the world. He was not the answer to every problem that the world had. He was not the answer to every problem that his followers had. But he knew who held those answers. His role was just to point people to the Messiah! Listen to the next few phrases in John 3:
“The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:29-30
John’s role was like the best man at a wedding. He was there to help the bride get connected to the groom. His joy came in that relationship. Best men don’t try to take center stage. They know that the bride does not belong to them. They are just there to make the connection. It’s not our bride. It’s not our church. We are not the groom. We are not the Messiah.
#3 - his Kingdom Is My Priority!
I have learned this by experience. When I am more concerned with what burdens God, God is even more concerned with what’s important to me. I can never go wrong prioritizing His Kingdom over my cares and concerns.
Jesus said it so clearly:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
Let’s paraphrase the context. Don’t be like the pagans who worry about the size of their church, the popularity of their ministry, the number of likes or followers you have on Instagram. For your Father in heaven knows everything you need…But seek first His Kingdom…’
At the back end of that challenge is a promise. Everything you need will be added to you as well!
#4 - When I Refresh Others - I Will Also Be Refreshed!
One of the best things we can do when we are down is to design a way to encourage someone else. Out of our emptiness, choose to give. When we are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves, break self-pity by choosing to focus on someone else instead. Proverbs says:
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
Give to someone else what you wish someone would give to you. Sow intentional seed in others and you actually will harvest a crop yourself. But when you harvest, you won’t even care as much because the process of sowing into others sets you free, in and of itself.
Sowing seed is an act of faith! We can give away what we have knowing that God has our back and His resources are unlimited!
#5 - My Life Will Not Be Measured By What I Do, But By What I Set Into Motion!
Do you think anyone evaluates the effectiveness of John the baptist based on the size of the crowds that came to hear him preach? Is anyone talking about how many people he baptized? If there had been such a thing, would John’s life have been measured by the number of books sold, conferences where he was invited to speak, or social media stats?
Of course not! But John did set into motion the ministry of Jesus the Messiah, through who billions of people have been saved over the course of the last two thousand years. What he set into motion was so much more a measure of his life than the temporary stats our culture now uses to measure success.
Insecure pastor or leader, let me say something to you today. You are not alone. This past year has been brutal. We all feel beat up, misunderstood, unappreciated, and insecure from time to time. But you do not have to live there. You can step into a better understanding of the success paradigm of heaven.
And when you do you will find that He will set you free!