Worth the Read

I received the following from a friend in the US:

 

I once heard a pastor state that he loved his job--except for the people. Ninety percent of pastors who graduate from seminary resign from the ministry within the first ten years because they get tired of the gossip, rebellion, disrespect, disloyalty, immaturity, and pettiness of their congregations. They might find it easier to be a garbage collector, a ditch digger, a mechanic, or a pilot who can sit in the cockpit of an airplane with the door shut and not be required to deal with people. These options might relieve the frustrations of a minister, but they certainly do not build the church.

 

Whether people are uneducated, self-taught, or scholars, they can cause insurrection and other problems in families, businesses, churches and ministries. The root of their immaturity is pride, which results in bad attitudes. Their stubborn, disrespectful, debating, undisciplined personalities create disloyalty; and finally, division rules. The family, business, church or ministry ultimately fails as Moses failed in the wilderness when his leaders caused

such a putrid atmosphere that God did not allow them to enter the promised land.

 

The key to a winning team in a church, ministry or office, is to have people, whether educated or not, who are willing to learn and will follow godly leadership. We must stop working with and imparting into the lives of people who are too stubborn to be taught and won't follow simple instructions

and policies. Such behavior only fuels frustration and disunity in a staff with a "mutiny on the bounty" waiting to happen. Yes, I do believe in education, and that is why I encourage all my staff to continue to take the courses offered at World Ministries International School of Theology. An educated staff is much better equipped to be effective in ministry if they possess "the winning attitude". If they do not, they can be more troublesome, as Moses discovered.

 

Jesus loved the boastful, argumentative, debating Peter who was always challenging Jesus with his big mouth because of his pride. However, Jesus could not trust or use him while he was a disciple. Peter became an apostle only after he fell on his face, repented, and finally obeyed the teachings of Jesus that he had heard taught over the years.

 

Dr. JH