Professional Christians are those who put bread on the table and a roof over the heads of their families via the church. They may be the senior pastor of a large multi-staff church or a worship pastor or the solo pastor of a small fellowship, but if you receive your wages from these churches or any type of ministry/mission/NGO or such things, where you are expected to be on all the time, regardless of the actual condition of your soul, then you are by my definition, a professional christian.
No congregation in the world is going to be very understanding if you as the worship pastor, or as any other kind of missionary/pastor, stand up on Sunday morning and announce that, “you know what, its been a really tough week, and I am struggling in my walk with God” or “this week I am having real and genuine doubts about my faith in God” or “I have sinned so badly this week, and instead of preaching today, I think I will just confess my sins instead” . . . or a hundred other such potential statements . . . you will simply lose your job, and find it extremely extremely difficult to find another one in a church.
No. As a professional christian you must appear to enthusiastically and genuinely worship (if you are a worship pastor/leader) or you must as a professional christian get up and preach a theologically correct and emotionally powerful and memorable (at least until the end of Sunday lunch) sermon . . . and this must happen week after week after month after month after year after year. Regardless.
Regardless to the actual condition of your soul. Regardless of the struggles you may have (they may not be allowed to interfere with Sunday services). Regardless to how true and genuine any of your actions actually may be on any given Sunday, the expectations are clear. Regardless of practically all circumstances, temptations, wrongs, passions, hurts, struggles and sins . . . the show must go on. This is the life of a professional christian.
The end result for any professional christian is that sometimes (oftentimes?) we are performing instead of praying, acting instead of worshiping, talking instead of preaching. Sometimes these fake actions force us to turn to God week after week, and that is a good thing. Sometimes though, a habitual process of faking it can take a calling and turn it into a job. Then you may well find yourself faking it all the time.
Of course the solution to this is a vital ongoing daily living relationship with God Himself who can and does renew us and our weary souls. He wants us far more than we want Him and it shows . . . He has made all the arrangements for us to enjoy and benefit from Him, while He takes all of the abuse and difficulties on Himself. A professional christian is pretty useless to the King and Kingdom, unless he/she realizes the act of faking it, repents, and rejoins their soul to the Spring of Refreshment, Jesus Himself and do it for Him, and not a paycheck.
No congregation in the world is going to be very understanding if you as the worship pastor, or as any other kind of missionary/pastor, stand up on Sunday morning and announce that, “you know what, its been a really tough week, and I am struggling in my walk with God” or “this week I am having real and genuine doubts about my faith in God” or “I have sinned so badly this week, and instead of preaching today, I think I will just confess my sins instead” . . . or a hundred other such potential statements . . . you will simply lose your job, and find it extremely extremely difficult to find another one in a church.
No. As a professional christian you must appear to enthusiastically and genuinely worship (if you are a worship pastor/leader) or you must as a professional christian get up and preach a theologically correct and emotionally powerful and memorable (at least until the end of Sunday lunch) sermon . . . and this must happen week after week after month after month after year after year. Regardless.
Regardless to the actual condition of your soul. Regardless of the struggles you may have (they may not be allowed to interfere with Sunday services). Regardless to how true and genuine any of your actions actually may be on any given Sunday, the expectations are clear. Regardless of practically all circumstances, temptations, wrongs, passions, hurts, struggles and sins . . . the show must go on. This is the life of a professional christian.
The end result for any professional christian is that sometimes (oftentimes?) we are performing instead of praying, acting instead of worshiping, talking instead of preaching. Sometimes these fake actions force us to turn to God week after week, and that is a good thing. Sometimes though, a habitual process of faking it can take a calling and turn it into a job. Then you may well find yourself faking it all the time.
Of course the solution to this is a vital ongoing daily living relationship with God Himself who can and does renew us and our weary souls. He wants us far more than we want Him and it shows . . . He has made all the arrangements for us to enjoy and benefit from Him, while He takes all of the abuse and difficulties on Himself. A professional christian is pretty useless to the King and Kingdom, unless he/she realizes the act of faking it, repents, and rejoins their soul to the Spring of Refreshment, Jesus Himself and do it for Him, and not a paycheck.
3 comments:
I think the only people that a professional Christian would offend on Sunday morning by, instead of preaching, confessed a sin or doubt would be those that are faking it themselves. Of course that may be most of the congregation, but the few who are truly walking the talk will be understanding and supportive.
The congregation may suffer in the short term from a confession, but long term will be stronger. Matt 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” By acknowledging personal weakness a pastor acknowledges Gods strength to heal. Matt 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The weakness of the pastor then becomes the strength of Christ in and through the congregation
The other big thing that public confession by a pastor or other professional Christian does is it takes a big weapon away from Satan, using the darkness and deceit. Honesty and openness are a hindrance to Satan’s ways and he will seek easier target. Along those same lines hypocrisy by Church leaders is the biggest single reason people give for not trusting in the Church.
Even doubt in God by a pastor can be used to the good by God. The beleivers of the congregation can step up and support the pastor in many ways including assuming preaching.
I was initially disturbed by Charles Stanely revelation of infidelity, but after a time I became an admirer. He is still a man of faith and has a tremendous understanding of the Bible and is blessed by being such a good teacher. It would have been a shame to lose what he brings to God’s kingdom because of his human failings.
Remember above all the professional Christian is still a man and still suffers from the same inborn sin as all men. Expect nothing more from yourself than you would from any man that came to you with a problem.
I agree with Dadrick in that the only person a professional christian would offend are those faking it themselves.
Personally I would much rather have a pastor (or any Christian really)be real and fess up to his current weakness. If done right it's an encouragement all around.
Lately I've been somewhat upset about the hypocrisy of of adults in general. How is it that you ask someone how they are and they're always "good" even when you know they aren't?!?!
Genuineness and being real (not complaining) is what matters
I'm so glad God knows when we are truely "on" and "off", He's the only one that counts anyway! It's nice to be away from the "traditional" church so that I can be professional in truth here, no false faces, just me! PTL!
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