Here’s sound advice from a seasoned pastor in the form of Ten Reminders for Christian Life and Leadership:
- No matter what other people tell you…Don’t think that you have all the answers. (That omniscient position has been permanently and effectively filled.)
- Don’t think that you should have all the answers. (Just wrestling with the right questions is hard enough.)
- Don’t think you know exactly what others should do. (While we can lead in biblical paths, we must leave final footprints to God.)
- Don’t think you can resolve every problem. (If you could, Jesus would be unnecessary.)
- Don’t ever motivate someone by using guilt. (While it may seem to work in the short-term, it always creates deep wounds and anger.)
- Don’t ever absorb someone else’s guilt. (Martyrdom is a call to be accepted, not a long-term profession to be perfected.)
- Don’t think that ministry is supposed to be easy. (If you do, you haven’t been reading your Bible enough.)
- Don’t allow secrets, but keep confidences. (The difference is that the first is based on maintaining power, while the latter seeks to protect the weak.)
- Don’t forget that trust is a powerful but fragile, priceless thing. (Once trust is broken, the glue of repair seems to take forever to dry.)
- Don’t think you can change others. (You can teach them, lead them, support them, and love them and model health for them, but you cannot change them. Only the Holy Spirit does long-term persuading.)
© March, 1997 / Rev. Brad Strait, used with permission.
