They wanted to talk about my preaching. I hadn’t been to church for a long time, but they had concerns. Recently, single women left the church and these deaconos were convinced it was my fault. My sermons, they insisted, they were very “male”. Didn’t you know what they meant?I don’t know yet! He certainly had no intention of preaching male or female sermons. However, they were not satisfied.
Several months later, an older couple wanted to talk and also had some concerns. It was about my family, they offered constructive criticism, especially to my wife, in public they were very kind and we seemed to like them very much, in particular, they had reservations about us as a ministerial team.
- At the time.
- Another member told me that something was wrong with the morning service; I didn’t know how to say what it was; seemed happy that I was preaching the Bible.
- But I wanted something a little less serious and a little less serious.
- Happier said our meetings didn’t make sense?Worship.
Welcome to the ministry
If you are a pastor, the reviews come in the package. These examples are from my early years in office. A decade later, the church I serve has more unity than ever before. However, there are still criticisms. The other day, a brother said the first point of my sermon was too long. I was right! I’m trying to respond to the pious criticism.
“The ears that respond to the wise rebuke of the wise have their home” (Psalm 15:31). Everyone needs a correction and a good leader will receive them. “Straight lips are the joy of the king, and he likes who says honest things” (Pv 16. 13). It’s okay to urge you to change if necessary. It is good to know that you are doing something wrong when in reality you are doing something wrong. Criticism may burn in the short term, but if it’s true, we can accept it. as a gift from the Lord. “Listen to the advice and receive instructions, so that you may be wise in your days to come” (Pv 19,20).
The mature pastor knows that criticism is helpful, but prefers to keep it to a minimum, because criticism hurts. Put too much charcoal in the fire and the steak is likely to burn. He accumulates a lot of criticism from the pastor and it’ll probably be over. Criticism, however well-intentioned, can be harmful in high doses. No one will prosper in a perpetual state of dismay. ” Anguish in man’s heart brings him down, but the good word brightens him” (Pv 12:25).
Unfortunately, pastors cannot control the frequency or quality of criticism that arises; some are wonderful, useful and stimulating. Other criticisms are simply unfair, unfair and cruel, aren’t they, baseball?A batter cannot ask the pitcher for his favorite pitch and a pastor cannot make a member compassionate. Sometimes people say things that aren’t just true.
Criticisms like this may be completely disconnected from reality, or they may have a kernel of truth, but be thrown at you in a wicked and offensive way. Sheep are known to bite their shepherds. How should pastors respond to unfair criticism?
In a word: don’t have fine skin, be insensitive, but don’t forget to have a tender heart.
The fine-skinned pastor will not last long in the ministry because he will take all questions about the direction of the church as personal negligence. Every member who comes out looks like a dagger in the back. He finds it difficult to distinguish between the right and the unjust. Does Spider-Man have a spider sense?Fine-skinned shepherds always seem to feel a new word of criticism coming.
Some fine-skinned shepherds demonize their detractors. They consider themselves warriors of truth and wonder why the rest of the troops do not enter the battle line. When people investigate the reasoning behind a decision, express opposition, or simply disagree discreetly, a thin-skinned pastor considers it a personal affront. The skin shepherd can’t change course, but he’s disappointed and hurt by any confrontation.
Other thin-skinned shepherds are so nervous that they question every decision they make. When people oppose their leadership, these shepherds quickly assume that they must drive the ship in the wrong direction. They base the quality of their leadership on the sound of the crowd. , instead of the Word of the Lord.
In any case, the fine-skinned shepherd is too concerned about what others think; his opinion casts a long, discouraging shadow over his ministry; he always feels the need to prove something to himself; shepherds like this build walls that drive people away. It’s a dark, lonely place.
Simply put, thin-skinned shepherds probably shouldn’t be part of the ministry because they wouldn’t last long.
A hard-skinned pastor is more concerned with the approval of the God he worships than about the approval of the church he serves. He can usually sleep well on Sunday nights, because he knows that the kingdom of God is not shaken by his sermon. Can you hear bad news in the afternoon?the cancer came back, my wife left me, and she’ll always be emotionally available for her son’s football game that night. The insensitive-skinned shepherd finds deep comfort and strength in the reality of God’s Sovereign Goodness.
Because the hard-skinned pastor knows that the future of his church depends on the power of the Spirit and not on himself, he makes decisions that serve him and his family. Do you take the rest time you need?because he knows that his family and his church need a well-rested pastor. He says no to certain church functions to spend quality time with his wife and children. He recognizes that some may want him to be more available, but shows that his family is the first thing.
More importantly, a callous-skinned shepherd lets the sheep bite because he knows, after all, that they are sheep!Christians who have followed a regular diet of thematic teachings for decades may shudder as they think of hearing a full chapter of one Book of the Bible per chapter. The callous shepherd is not offended by his opposition; He patiently explains why he believes explanatory preaching is most useful. A quiet-skinned pastor can be criticized for moving a church from a special musical performance to a more congregational song. But don’t get angry when people mistakenly conclude that they don’t like music. ; humbly explains why the movements he suggests are for the good, in the long run, of the worship of God’s congregation.
In other words, every pastor will inevitably face a barrage of criticism. This isn’t paradise. But the callous shepherd will keep his eyes on the cross, his heart on the Lord, and his hand on the plow.
And because of that, he’s more likely to stay in the apartment
The skin of an elephant can withstand the sun of the Sahara desert, but let’s face it, who wants to kiss an elephant?If a numb-skinned shepherd doesn’t pay attention, he’ll seem unattainable. You can oppose fidelity to God, word of compassion for God’s people.
The Apostle Paul is a very good example to us here, the same man who told the Galatians that he was not looking there for the approval of men, compared to a nanny who caresses his own children, when he described his ministry to the the thessalonikis. Callous skin: Gal 1. 10; tender heart: 1 Ts 2. 7.
Even better is the example of Jesus, He showed remarkable tenderness towards those who would reject him. The Savior described himself as a chicken [who] gathers his calf under his wings?(Lk 13:34). If our king can be so kind to Jerusalem, shouldn’t we have compassion for the church of the living God?(1 Tim 3. 15).
Being someone with insensitive skin has its dangers. Accepting good reviews can take time, we may seem harsh, disapsed or selfless with others, we can assume that the people around us have hard skin like us and suddenly and unnecessarily criticize, we can speak forcefully, clearly and harshly that hurting the same sheep that God has entrusted to our care.
We will work hard to avoid these obstacles. The members of our church are precious in the eyes of God, even when they bite; if we have very thin skin, we will fall under the weight of their disappointment upon us; if we have very thick skin, we will reject the brothers. and sisters whom God has called us to serve and guide, so make sure you have a tender heart. The hard-skinned, tender-hearted pastor is best positioned to exercise long-term ministry.