So you’re in ministry. According to Dayton Hartman, you might buy into seven different lies, all of which can be damaging to you and those you are trying to serve.
Seven Lies You Might Believe
You might think you’re a visionary. Martin Luther started a world revolution, and so can you! But most likely, not really. Our goal should not be to market ourselves as the next celebrity pastor, but to make Jesus famous and then die.
You might think you’re the first pastor to feed your sheep a gourmet spiritual meal, and they might tell you that. When your flock tell you how well you feed them, it can feed your ego, possibly leading you into egregious sin. This lie can lead us to believe that we are the source of all good things, rather than Scripture itself.
You might believe that you need to achieve amazing things in ministry to please Jesus. Perhaps you grew up in a rough home, but your parents or those close to you really respected ministers, and now you think that if your ministry is successful, Jesus will love you. You need to know that Jesus already loves you, no matter what results you get.
You might believe you have a special, subjective calling that cannot be denied by anyone, because you received it directly from God. The truth is that Scripture speaks of those who aspire to be elders, and if you so aspire, you can work toward growing into the qualifications of an elder. Those who believe they are called, and that’s all it takes to be an elder, may wreck themselves and their sheep.
You might believe you are a holy man, and need to be perceived as such by your congregation. But to do so would be disingenuous. You are a redeemed sinner, like the rest of your flock, and you should confess your sin (but not overshare with your congregation) and grow in holiness with them, so that you can lead them in doing so.
You might believe you need to sacrifice your home life for your ministry. Busyness can make you seem that you have a successful ministry, but in reality it just means you are neglecting your wife for Christ’s wife. Some practical ways to value your wife are to go to bed at the same time, get screens out of your bedroom, assume the best of your wife, sacrificially serve her, meet with a biblical counselor just to improve your marriage, and complement and pray for her frequently. Speak to your kids frequently about Jesus and pray for them. Value your family more than your ministry.
You might feel that you’re the only one on an island, like Tom Hanks in Cast Away–a lone wolf minister. You need genuine friendships inside and outside of the church. However, be careful about your friends within the church; some of them will have ulterior motives. Be sure you have relationships to support you in your private life and ministry.
Moving Beyond the Lies
Dayton Hartman’s work is intensely practical. As a pastor-scholar (scholar-pastor?), I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Many of these lies have popped up in my own life, seminary training, and ministry experience. Many bits of advice were simple reminders; many stories were informative; many paragraphs were straight rebukes that I was glad to digest.
If you are in ministry, the gospel–the good news about Jesus’ life and work–are on the line, day in and day out. You can’t afford to mar the name of Christ. You are his messenger.
I wholeheartedly recommend Lies Pastor Believe as a concise, enjoyable, yet poignant warning to those of us in ministry to recognize the power of the gospel in our ministries as we decrease so that Christ may increase.
Buy or preview it on Amazon.
