June 18th - Expectations - A Blame Game

The story...

Thankfully my spouse and I chose to stay members of the same church for over 39 years.  Along that journey, most attenders decided to move to another church that better met their needs.  In my limited experience, they were most often disappointed with pastor(s).

Each person hoped that the preacher would've worked out their faith regarding the subjects that they espoused.  When the attender performed an honest personal appraisal, they'd expect to see gaps between the quality of their life and the life of the pastor.  The pastor "should" have worked out a more honest an ongoing spiritual life based on a calling to serve and a superior knowledge of God's revelations - they should actually have a deep and honest relationship with God.  Weren't they ordained and vetted by the people who know God and His Word?  The quality of their relationship with God should be reflected in their loving relationships with others too.  Shouldn't the pastor's life be characterized by the peace of God worked out within most of the circumstance of life?  "Shouldn't I be able to witness God's promises fulfilled in a life worked out through faith in His revealed Word?"  If he can't actually work out this honest good life then why am I listening to him?  "Is he a "jar of clay?"

Some people stay and choose to accept their pastor as they are and dote on them - treat them as a sort of pet who needs a lot of attention and kindness to be okay and happy.  Give them a lot of positive feedback, getaway vacations, and gifts.  They likely brag about the qualities of their pastor while they treat him as a sort of "better" extension of themselves.  Emphasize and highlight "everything" that happens in their lives and give them plenty of attention too.  

Yes, it's easier to blame or dote on the pastor rather than to be honest with our own reality.  Scripture says that we're born with this "sin" problem and that separates us from our Holy God.  Our efforts to learn and apply the secrets of the "good" life are in vain due to our inherent sin nature.  We must obey the greatest commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as ourselves, yet it's not within our nature to truly do so.  God says that His Son, Jesus the Christ, died to atone for this sin debt that separates each of us from a right relationship with our Holy God - our Father.  Even more strangely, scripture says that only God knows whose heart, inner person, is right with God and whose isn't.  And, stranger yet, He indwells those who are truly His via the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ.  He is our evidence of our salvation and the "seal' that confirms that we're right with God.  That's good news and why people would treasure the only church in town.

Holy Spirit - Evidence

Just for today...

"Will I blame others for what I do on the ground that I am compelled to react to their wrongdoing?" One Day at a Time (p. 170)

"I was in the habit of blaming two particular people for all my problems.  I would take turns detesting and obsessing about each of them instead of focusing on myself."  Hope for Today (p. 170)