Waiting on God

I am very humbled to be given this privilege of sharing some thoughts in this very important first issue of the e-magazine put out by the PRIMITIVE METHODIST CONFEDERATION OF AMERICA. As you are reading this I have turned 69 years old. My mother and father entered into pastoral ministry with the Primitive Methodists when I was only two years old. By the time I graduated high school in 1973, they had pastored in three separate PM churches. Because of this my life was deeply impacted by very spiritual men and women in the PM world. Various missionaries and other PM pastors were friends to my parents and I had many opportunities to be around them.

To this day my life has been and still is impacted by the Primitive Methodist family.

In growing up in a pastor’s home and in being a pastor myself for 35 years now, I have learned that not much stays the same. I know that the ways of ministry in 2024 are not the same as the ways of ministry in the 1960’s. Times change. Values change in our cultures. The people coming through our church doors are different in how they view the world and their place in it.

The most important thing for those in ministry especially, is to never forget that God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. He and His truth and His kingdom values are to be what we pursue in all times and in all places. However, as we do that, we must remember also that His ways and our ways are not the same. His wisdom and our wisdom are not the same.

For Christmas in 1968 my parents gifted me my first full Bible. On the gift page they referenced Matthew 6:33. That verse has always been a guiding light for me. When making tough decisions it has been the one truth I know will guide me in the right path. Which choice aims first and foremost at seeking God’s Kingdom and righteousness?

The totality of God’s Word reveals life after life of those who followed God’s path and it turned out to be a process that took patience because results were not seen instantly. The great faith chapter of Hebrews 11 has this truth in verses 13-16.

13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (NLT)

When you are in pastoral ministry you must stay patient. The sheep you shepherd are not going to grow and change after one sermon or one conversation. That revival for which you may be praying will not come overnight, for the Spirit moves where He will. We must wait on God who will grow the seeds we have planted.

We must live out the life of Jesus before our flock. We must nurture the sheep in our flock to become more like Jesus. We must faithfully preach the Gospel, which is God’s power for salvation. There must be a Spirit-shaped Christlikeness about us. This means that the fruit of the Spirit is apparent in us, both in public and in private. We are loving and joyful. We are peaceful and patient with people. Our people should sense a presence of kindness about us.

Pastoring is more than a job; it is a calling in and for the community. A pastor is involved in marrying, burying, baptizing, baby dedicating, and guiding people through the highs and lows of life together. This requires presence. A good pastor relates to people with gentleness. People carry brokenness and must be handled gently, so the cracks won’t spread and the brokenness won’t grow. A gentle pastor walks into people’s lives quietly and only when invited. They open doors slowly and carry extra grace in their pocket. They are not harsh, judgmental, or someone to be feared; gentleness neither condemns nor threatens.

We must show self-control. In the Greek world, self-control meant making decisions from both a passion and reason held in balance so that you were led neither by cold reasoning nor hot passions. Self-control makes decisions that take into account both the wisdom of the church (the past) and the coming kingdom of God (the future). They do not make decisions impulsively or on a whim. Good pastors are driven not by dopamine but by the wisdom of the ages.

Pastors leave footprints in the sand for others to follow. If your sons and daughters follow those footsteps and become like this pastor, will you be pleased? Pastors should be honestly able to say to their sheep, as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.”

I close with this word from James 3:1 because being a pastor includes teaching in sermons and teaching though the example of our lives. “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

This is what is in my pastor’s heart today. Be a faithful servant, obedient to your Lord and Master, and wait on God to do the rest.