WHEN YOU ARE IN DEEP WATER

 Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:9

Lately I have struggled to find the passion and focus to do the job I believe God has called me to do.

My calling is to reconcile people to God, to connect them to Christ's saving grace; to experience the transformed life that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  I carry out this calling within the context of being the Lead Pastor of the Church of God of Landisville.  That job carries the awesome responsibility of helping a church follow God's vision and to equip it for a future of faithfulness to God and fruitfulness for the kingdom.  In that role, it is essential that I take the long view of the church's mission. It requires me to work proactively for the church's long-term effectiveness and not consuming all my time and energy and simply reacting to the latest crisis or making sure everyone is happy in the moment. The reality is that you cannot make anyone happy. Happiness is a choice.  And people-pleasing is particularly warned against by God's Word. As a leader and pastor, I must make decisions that are in the best interest of the body even when individuals want to operate from a very personal place.

Much of the past several weeks has been consumed with putting out fires created by people who, either #1 don't take the long view and now are in a crisis that they want to make yours, #2 think their happiness is more important than the church's effectiveness, or #3 are generally miserable and prefer to be miserable by living on their own terms instead of finding peace and joy by living on God's terms.  And then there are people who hate for there to be any problems and want me to make all of those other people's problems go away.

Pastors call this the dark side of ministry. And if you go there and dwell there long enough, your passion drains away, you simply operate by reacting to what happens next, and leave little time for what God told you was important but what men do not think is as important.

In these times, you know you are in over your head, and just start paddling just to stay afloat, let alone actually get somewhere.  Being a pastor can be a lonely place at those times--for few people understand that struggle and a whole lot of people never know anyway and therefore don't provide the help needed.  Although they are still disturbed by the people you haven't managed to fix.

It is a place of weakness for most pastors.  But it is also a place where we must keep our focus.  When you are in deep water you need to trust the One who walked on water.  And this verse becomes the reality thayt ultimately reignites a pastor's passion and renew his focus.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9.

(C) 2011 by Stephen L Dunn