A difficult task

Dear Pastor,

Yours is a difficult task.

It is difficult for many reasons not the least of which is that people don’t want to be reminded of their shortcomings.

Ministry is about helping us to turn to the One who is able to deliver us from all things but we must admit our need for deliverance and wisdom and provision. For a pastor to be heard the hearers must admit their own failures and insufficiencies.

To communicate this whilst not also condemning is no easy thing. The world and the enemy love to condemn. Accusations, outrage, and guilt are things thrown quite easily as arrows meant to pierce, injure, maim or even kill. It could be quite easy to add our voice to the clamor of so many other ones who merely pass judgment on sin.

Or on the other hand, it might be equally tempting to merely say nice and beautiful things to make others feel better about themselves which sadly may only result in further bondage and defeat.

And so pastors and missionaries have a difficult task.

We must help people realize the dilemma of their own situation and yet simultaneously help them to know the love of God and the power of God. We must declare that we all are sinners and that our sin is deserving of death. We must proclaim that by ourselves we can do nothing and that all of our efforts as righteousness are but filthy rags. Pastors and missionaries must assert that there is nothing and no one good except God (even and especially us!) and then we must lead people to a place of surrendering everything seen and unseen in their lives to an unseen God.

No wonder many are tempted (and perhaps even give in!) to simply say things that make people feel better about themselves. No wonder the temptation is to gloss over the hard truths of the Bible. Sadly, many Christians and even pastors may give in to the temptation to remain silent about uncomfortable warnings and judgments in the Bible.

But we cannot remain silent! For far too many and far too long, silence and fear have won out over faith and proclamation and thousands, perhaps millions have suffered for it. We may think that our silence hurts no one, but the addict, the lonely, the forgotten, the despondent, the depressed and the oppressed would beg to differ. If we remain silent many people will leave this world and head for a devil’s hell. If we remain silent people far and wide will remain enslaved.

We must declare fearlessly the gospel of Jesus Christ! The only hope of this world is the all-sufficient sacrifice and work of Jesus Christ. The apathetic, ignorant, lethargic, luke-warm, antagonistic and agnostic all need to hear. Certainly, they get to choose whether they will believe and obey. But they must hear. And how will they hear unless we tell them? So yes, we have a difficult task. But aren’t you glad that someone decided your need was more important than the difficulty? Aren’t you glad that God’s power is greater than the difficulty? Isn’t it a great and glorious thing that Jesus persevered, knowing that the difficulty and pain and suffering were nothing compared to the eternal glory that was to come both for Himself but also for all who heard and believed?

Thank you for declaring fearlessly His wonderful good news. How beautiful are your feet!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us

Mike J