Okay, pastors, here are some tough questions:
- Do you love your congregation?
- Do you think they’re some of the greatest people on earth?
- If you didn’t pastor your church, would you attend your church?
- Do you enjoy recreating with your church family?
This is an important principle: You cannot treat someone differently than you think about them.
Listen to what Paul said about the church in Rome —
I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. (Romans 15:14)
Do you hear what high regard Paul had for them? He told them that they were good people, growing in their relationship with Christ, and were competent to be teachers themselves!
Not only did Paul write this to them, but he bragged about them to others too —
Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you. (Romans 16:19)
Pastor, Jesus called us to feed and care for His sheep. We can do this so much more effectively if we think so highly of those precious people.
I pray that you can answer a resounding, whole-hearted “YES!” to those four opening questions. I think that’s what Jesus would want.
