Pastor-envy


Today’s Church, locally and worldwide, seems to be much weaker than the Apostles’ church in the First- Century. Why is this? 

Sin weakens people and sin in Christians weakens the Church. 
I want to speak about one sin in particular that impairs the local church today…jealousy toward pastors. 

Jealousy toward other person in a higher position is a common sin among people. No matter how right or wrong a President is, there are people jealous of him, just because he is POTUS, and they work to undermine him. I don’t have what it takes to be a good President, and I wouldn’t want to be a bad one. I hope and pray for the best from every US President. 

Think about it; no matter how useful a doctor or dentist is, people resent the respect and wages they receive. But I used to work on a hospital cleaning crew. I remember seeing doctors’ fancy cars parked in their reserved spots at 6:am on Christmas morning, and thought, “If you can’t even get off for Christmas, how good of life can a Doctor’s life be?” I’ve also seen elected officials go from one town parade to the next parade on July 4, while I can go home and relax, and I realize their time is not their own. Evan the fanbase of a successful NFL team will include those who dog the quarterback, simply because they are jealous of him, and think he is there because of a lucky break versus how he performs. Some people are jealous of other colors or nationalities or gender, and certain women find it easy to be jealous of other women. The list goes on and on. Has there ever a break table at workplace where workers didn’t complain about their bosses, thus implying that they could do a better job? Now, about our pastors… There are people called by God to be pastors, and then there are other people who are jealous of them. Why? Perhaps they think: 
1) God must love them more than he loves me. 
2) God must think they are smarter than me. 
3) God must see them as more faithful than I am. 
4) God wants to give them more perks than me. 
5) God want them to have more power in my church than I have. 

Some folks think that power in the church should be divided equally. My perspective is that every successful organization has a chain of command. 
To hate that concept is to have a Luciferian vein within one’s self. 

Often, the people most jealous of pastors are the ones least qualified to serve as pastors. Some examples:
 
Don’t regularly read their Bible or pray,. Therefore cannot present a scriptural perspective on a topic. 
Can’t get to church on time, when the pastor may have arrived two hours earlier. 
Talks when the platform is active, with worship, announcements or sermon.
Has trouble sharing time or money. 
Gossips. 
Addictions 

Not everyone can be a general or admiral. We each have our own gifting, as God Himself chooses to give. 
So it might be that some people who are critical with their pastor, are really just mad at God, but project their anger toward their pastor. 
They wouldn't dare yell at God.

If you are in a scripturally-correct church, then you need to help make the church proactive, though it might seem that the pastor will get most of the human credit. (The Bible says that Solomon built the Temple, yet we know Solomon never wielded a shovel or hammer on the project. But Solomon made it happen when the bronze smelters could not have.) 

Most important, if you are in a emotional-zone that makes you unhappy, ask yourself if you are truly saved by the Blood of Christ. If you are saved, and can appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made for you on the Cross, you should be able to serve at any level. 
And yet…If you are discontent, God may be urging you to serve at a more intense level, according to the needs of the church you attend, not according to your person ambitions. 

A note about personal ambitions: Lucifer had ambitions outside of God’s will for him. Submit to God’s will for your life. 

If you are restless, ask where you might serve. You may enter a ministry unfamiliar to you, just because God wants to make you into a more complete Christian. 
If the pastor accidentally misquotes a scripture, you don’t have to write him and tell him about it. 
Sometimes there are real conflicts that need attention, but there is a scriptural way to handle these matters; Matthew 18 is the start. 

So, true Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, live your church-life and personal life in such a way that Jesus can’t criticize you for what kind of church-goer you are. 
That shoe of criticism can fit many different feet, yours and mine included.