Most Important

I was reading an article the other day that made a bold claim. It stated that, in order for a person to serve as a successful pastor, they don’t even need to be a Christian. That seems like an impossible statement, but the author went on to explain. Most church members have an idea of what an ideal church pastor looks like. Their wish list includes things like being a visionary leader, eloquent speaker, compassionate listener, competent manager, and inspiring life example. They expect the pastor to preach, visit, be available 24/7, and be actively involved in everything the church is doing. In other words, a successful pastor has many of the qualities of a successful CEO or corporate executive. While these are all good things (albeit somewhat unrealistic), they mean nothing if they are not an outflow of a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. A pastor’s first job is to sit at the feet of Jesus, unhurried and still, listening to the message Christ has for His church. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily a visible attribute and more often than not, gets pushed to the side as a pastor strives to keep up with everything he “has” to do.

In my current role as Ministerial Director, I’m actively involved in pastoral placements and transitions. I like to share that article with the church boards I meet with as a reminder that we can have a list of things we want in a pastor, but what matters most is the thing we can’t necessarily see: an abiding relationship with Jesus. I’m reminded of the story of the prophet Samuel looking for a replacement king. He was told to go to Bethlehem and interview the sons of Jesse. While he was there, God shared an important lesson with him. Samuel had just met Eliab, the eldest, and was extremely impressed with him. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). You may not be a pastor or church leader or a king for that matter, but the same thing applies to you. People prioritize attributes and behaviors and results but those are not what are most important. What’s most important is an abiding relationship with Jesus. Is that your priority in this new year?