4 years ago a new church started in our comunity. The pastor was from a mega-church located just 25 minutes up the freeway. When I first heard about the church I figured it was another campus or a plant from that church. Then one day right around the corner from me at the local 7th day church as I was driving by I saw a sign there saying "Crossroad Christian Center Meeting Here". Immediatley I felt something inside that I had never felt as a pastor before but it did not take me long to discern it, it was the spirit of competition! In my head were thoughts like "he started with 154 people & I had 4" & "He's got lot's of money and I have none" & "He has the backing of a mega-church and I have the backing of a broke district that says "were praying for you" etc (by the way, I mean no dis-respect. I love my district). I must tell you I did not like what I felt and immediatley began to pray for that pastor and his church. In fact, it became a habit for me to pray for the churches and pastors in my area. It was through praying for them and of course understanding they are fighting the same fight serving the same God that I was able to quickly overcome that spirit. I must admit every once in awhile that I feel that spirit try to come on me again with some church or pastor but when it does I immediatley go to prayer for that church/pastor. That pastor I mentioned, we have become friends and meet for coffee or talk regularly. We are not close buddies but have a mutual respect one for another. He now pastors about 600+ while I pastor 200+. One day while we were talking he told me "Todd, I respect you and what you are doing. Most would have left like so many before you but you have stayed, pressed on and believed in what God called you to do. Many have not had the training I have had" (Marines, Rhema and the mega church) and use it as an excuse. That day we saw eachother for who we were. We were both pastors and both successful, not becaue of the size of our church but because were doing what God called us to do and HE was building HIS CHURCH. I have found it difficult at times not to get ahead of God. I see what He is doing in so many other churches and combined with the dream He has placed within me it causes me at times to think my church should be so much more than it is. Recently I realized that my gifts and talents and desire will not speed up the timing of God. I must not make excuses for mediocrity and cannot become complacent. However, I cannot allow myself to compare my church or my ministry to anyone elses or measure myself by their "success". I am learning to rejoice for the "KINGDOM SUCCESS" of my brothers and sisters and pray for each one, especially those located close to me. We preach unity and love for the brethern but if we are honest we only live that ourselves as long as our ministry is growing as we would like. Today I give respect to each of you and the job you are doing for the kingdom and the success you have found in your city. Today I pray for you, for our fellowship but especially for my brothers fighting the good fight in the community I am in. I do not love or think more of my oldest daughter Kayla because she had more success in some areas than my youngest Hailey. I love them each with all of my heart for who they are and what they have been able to accomplish with what they have been given. Only if we can see that our Father God loves us this way but with so much more than we will ever know. Let's keep the dream alive that God has given and strive to truly please & honor Him and the call He has given us. When that happens success is sure to follow!
ANY THOUGHTS?
COMPETITION, wow that can drag a Pastor to the bottom. We all must have the spirit and attitude that God has created me to be me and not anyone else. It is easy to allow our thinking to be directed toward another church or leader when we have not defined our purpose and place God has sent us. Just this morning I sat with 8 other Pastors in our Ministeral Alliance meeting and shared my heart of how we are here as Pastors with one common purpose to win this city for Christ. After an extensive demographic study in our city, we realized that less than 20% of our population attend church on a regular basis. That tells us as Pastors that 80% of our city is without a Savior and our competition is with Satan for the lives of these 80%. Without a doubt i cannot win all of them but if we all as churches focus our purpose on winning them then the greatest victory of the competition is snatching the 80% out of the hands of the enemy
ReplyDeleteWow guys, this one pricked me to the core. I looked up some synonyms for "compete" and found some interesting results - vie, fight, struggle, contend, battle, and "try to win." If those things don't define the spirit of competition, I don't know what does. If we would turn that around we would find agreement, cooperation, release and common ground in our efforts to win the hearts of humanity for Christ. Good work, Todd.
ReplyDeleteIn Robert Morris's book, "From Dream To Destiny", he talks about the 10 major tests that David endured. He was 17 when God gave him the dream, and thirty when he walked in the fulfillment of the dream. The ten tests were: the Pride Test, the Pit Test, the Palace Test, the Purity Test, the Prison Test, the Power Test, the Prophetic Test, the Prosperity Test, the Pardon Test, and the Purpose Test. (For the record, it made a great preaching series!)
ReplyDeleteMany pastors are ambitious. We are driven by our passion and zeal. Perhaps that is what sets many of us apart from the people sitting in our pews. The one thing that doesn't separate us, though, is the fact that we, too, will be tested in these areas. A spirit of competition with other pastors and churches is a clear sign that we haven't passed at least one of these: the Pride Test.
God Himself resists the proud; so it should never surprise us when neighboring pastors (who may feel that we've displayed an air of competition or arrogance) resist our attempt to relate to them.
A more devastating scenario is when a staff member, elder, or leader in the congregation is competing for the respect, honor, and influence afforded the senior or lead pastor. Well, that's another blog in itself!