MEMORIES OF MY PASTOR... Im so thankful that God gave me the privilege to have the PERFECT - IMPERFECT PASTOR, for my growth in the Lord. For 11 years I saw the elements of my Pastors imperfect nature displayed occasionally right before my eyes. Much of this was due to my Pastor being a people person and his constant exposure to the public. Inclusive, because his children were good friends of mine, I was privileged of constantly being invited to his home and every so often, I saw the other side of the pulpit. However, it was this distinct invitation to share within the intimacy of his family circle that allowed me to see what others could not see and occasionally, it wasnt all spiritual but rather very human. I now had the responsibility to keep my Pastors family privacy to myself such as; how he spoke to his wife or how hed discipline his children; it was a tool that Gods Spirit used to shape and mold my character. Nevertheless, there were times where my Pastors shady silence or the winding road of his temperament would trouble me. And then, there was the roller coaster of his emotions that would at times take me up and down. However, I also remember the placid moments of his persona and the jubilant look in his eyes when all was well. I must also include seeing upon his brow the great weight he carried; trying to be a husband, a provider, raising four children, working a full time job and pastor to a couple hundred folks. I saw firsthand how this would make his eyes droop with sadness when he couldn’t meet 100% the call of each responsibility. Interestingly enough, it was this human inconsistency that God used to perfect Christ in me because through it all, my Pastor preached and souls were saved, hed preach and the sick were healed, people were blessed, there were great breakthroughs and when he’d worship, it was amazing. I wish I could tell you that my Pastor always hit a home run with his sermons but that would be a lie. I noticed hed struggle through some messages and though I was tempted to criticize his deliverance I learned to honour his efforts to edify the church. Now years after my personal experience in pastoral work I can say, Im so grateful that I had the distinct privilege to see my Pastors imperfections and how the Holy Spirit used them instrumentally to create in me an honoring spirit verses a critical attitude towards human frailty. In closing, what will you do with your Pastors humanity? Will you crush him or cover him? Will you pray for him or talk about him? Will you honour or be critical of him? Will you be loyal when the chips are down on his side or be quick to seek a replacement? These are probably tough questions for some to answer especially if you’ve never been fathered in the Lord. Usually, those who are quick to judge or speak rashly have not had a healthy father & son relationship or simply have not had a father at all thus; there are great voids in their lives concerning this area in the human experience. Therefore my friend, I toss you the towel of Grace by saying; “God doesnt use perfect vessels he uses broken vessels”. Therefore, if you are afforded the opportunity to speak negatively about your Pastor or some other minister think twice, it could be that the person on the Balance of Character is you and not your pastor. In Apostolic Service, Pastor Isaac Marrero
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:28:47 +0000
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