7 Signs You Waited Too Long to Move On
7 Signs You Waited Too Long to Move On
February 5, 2019
Conflict in the church is never easy. Conflict in full-time ministry can be particularly painful. When the attacks are personal, and doubt about continuing in a particular ministry begins to rise, it's good to get a fresh perspective. This is why we need trusted confidantes who ask the hard questions, who encourage, but aren't afraid to challenge, and who come alongside in that priceless asset available to all who believe - prayer. Further advice will come in other postings, but this post touches upon another gift of God - laughter. God uses emotions to help us to heal, and laughter is one of the best to help us look at our world from a different perspective. Humor affords us the opportunity to make fun of ourselves, but also to realize that maybe, as bad as we think the situation to be...it could be worse.
Laugh a little.
1. If you get to the church office and find your keys don't fit - you may have waited too long to move on.
2. If your wife calls to say PODS delivered two moving containers and the deacons' wives are at the parsonage to help her pack - you may have waited too long to move on.
3. If the wall is discolored because of the absence of your nameplate by your office door - you may have waited too long to move on.
4. If your wife informs you of the announcement in the program for volunteers to serve on the pulpit search committee - you may have waited too long to move on.
5. The elders give you a surprise month off. However, upon your return, you are horrified to learn that the "guest" speakers booked by the leadership are in fact candidates for your position - you may have waited too long to move on.
6. Upon arriving at the church building on Sunday you find that the message sign has the incorrect title for the sermon. It soon dawns on you why, as the message further urges, "Come and meet our new Pastor!" - You may have waited too long to move on.
7. You begin to receive calls from other congregations about the application you sent them. This confuses you, as you did not send out any applications. As you talk this over with your wife, she nervously confesses that she and the elders sent out the applications. You definitely waited too long to move on.
For many of us serving in healthy situations, these are humorous situations. We can laugh that such scenarios are too absurd to do anything but laugh. For far too many of us, these examples are absurd for being too close to reality. For this latter group, every Sunday afternoon is a taste of Hell. Some unthinking church member, either before service or after, has said or done something to crush their spirit. Sunday is ruined, and Monday may mean another revision to the resignation letter. Satan is having a party.
There is no doubt Satan is at work. His favorite victim is anyone in the Bride of Christ. We are all, after all, emerging from his kingdom into the Kingdom of God. This explains Satan's behavior, but it should give us pause about ourselves. Some of our fellow congregation members are truly antagonistic - for all the wrong reasons. However, many are nothing more than fellow Christ-followers struggling with shedding the old self. As such, they are guilty of committing thoughtless, unfeeling crimes against others. Of course, it should be obvious by now, this can be very true of those in paid ministry as well. Just because we graduate from the angel factory (Bible college) does not mean we were made perfect by receipt of a diploma. For this reason, it can be just as likely that Satan has whispered an untruth in the ear of a wounded servant on Sunday morning. That remark which crushed your spirit carried no weight until you allowed Satan's whisper in your weakness to make an impact.
God is no lightweight in His understanding of the human spirit. Appropriately, He left us His word as reference for living. Jesus gave us the promise of the Holy Spirit two dwell within us to groom us. Jesus left us the testimony of His life as model for living. I think we forget too often that God left us another asset to guide in our journey to perfection - one another. This last is often the most painful guide. But then, that may be an indicator of God's genius. He uses that which is imperfect to yield perfection. We should not be surprised He works this way. The greatest example of God working in such a way is turning a human murder plot into a divine act of salvation.
3. If the wall is discolored because of the absence of your nameplate by your office door - you may have waited too long to move on.
4. If your wife informs you of the announcement in the program for volunteers to serve on the pulpit search committee - you may have waited too long to move on.
5. The elders give you a surprise month off. However, upon your return, you are horrified to learn that the "guest" speakers booked by the leadership are in fact candidates for your position - you may have waited too long to move on.
6. Upon arriving at the church building on Sunday you find that the message sign has the incorrect title for the sermon. It soon dawns on you why, as the message further urges, "Come and meet our new Pastor!" - You may have waited too long to move on.
7. You begin to receive calls from other congregations about the application you sent them. This confuses you, as you did not send out any applications. As you talk this over with your wife, she nervously confesses that she and the elders sent out the applications. You definitely waited too long to move on.
For many of us serving in healthy situations, these are humorous situations. We can laugh that such scenarios are too absurd to do anything but laugh. For far too many of us, these examples are absurd for being too close to reality. For this latter group, every Sunday afternoon is a taste of Hell. Some unthinking church member, either before service or after, has said or done something to crush their spirit. Sunday is ruined, and Monday may mean another revision to the resignation letter. Satan is having a party.
There is no doubt Satan is at work. His favorite victim is anyone in the Bride of Christ. We are all, after all, emerging from his kingdom into the Kingdom of God. This explains Satan's behavior, but it should give us pause about ourselves. Some of our fellow congregation members are truly antagonistic - for all the wrong reasons. However, many are nothing more than fellow Christ-followers struggling with shedding the old self. As such, they are guilty of committing thoughtless, unfeeling crimes against others. Of course, it should be obvious by now, this can be very true of those in paid ministry as well. Just because we graduate from the angel factory (Bible college) does not mean we were made perfect by receipt of a diploma. For this reason, it can be just as likely that Satan has whispered an untruth in the ear of a wounded servant on Sunday morning. That remark which crushed your spirit carried no weight until you allowed Satan's whisper in your weakness to make an impact.
God is no lightweight in His understanding of the human spirit. Appropriately, He left us His word as reference for living. Jesus gave us the promise of the Holy Spirit two dwell within us to groom us. Jesus left us the testimony of His life as model for living. I think we forget too often that God left us another asset to guide in our journey to perfection - one another. This last is often the most painful guide. But then, that may be an indicator of God's genius. He uses that which is imperfect to yield perfection. We should not be surprised He works this way. The greatest example of God working in such a way is turning a human murder plot into a divine act of salvation.
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