A Hard Heart

A bulletin full of scribbled notes.

Emails that only tell one side of the story.

The phrases “What they should do” and “I’m just not comfortable”.

Pride and arrogance are the sins that are lurking around Rookie Pastors ready to trap you, and a critical spirit is one of the first symptoms of this.

In Exodus God could have prevented Pharaoh from letting the Israelites go by “hardening his heart”. It is very possible and frankly God can do whatever to show power and love. I don’t need to understand everything.

However I am starting to wonder if Pharaoh was threatened by something he couldn’t control. When God showed His power arrogance set in with Pharaoh and he wouldn’t listen to reason. In the Exodus narrative he loses everything that is dear to him. He refused to let God in.

When you get critical maybe it is time to step back and examine your heart.

Could this be rooted in jealousy?

Are you jealous of the gifting that someone else has? Or maybe it has something to do with the congregation that someone has? Their job title? Support? Professional Development budget? Or maybe you just want their job.

Find contentment.

What can you learn?

Even if it is what you don’t want to do, this is good. Being critical is easy, but it isn’t helping. You can point out flaws all day. It is those who can act on the negative that are actually creating something new. They identify and offer up something fresh and truly different. It isn’t about being right it is about being you.

Change Something.

If you are in this spot where you are not only critical but you are becoming resistant to the leadership you should be submitting to then something needs to change. Before you hit send on your resignation letter or you start looking at ministry job boards (which is 90% of the time a horrible idea) acknowledge that maybe it is you that needs to change.

However if you have been down this road before and you aren’t bitter then maybe it is time to move on. The important thing is that you can say you are not bitter and those who are leading you can agree. When you leave don’t do it with a torch.

Don’t let arrogance in. Because it hardens your heart and when that happens you are offended by God’s movement instead of receiving it with joy.