The Real Me

It's been awhile since I've written anything, so I will take a few minutes to share this thought. I was talking with a man this morning who was at my church to give me an estimate on some repair work, when he turned the flow of discussion toward being a minister. He had some comments about things he has observed in his life about the ministry as a whole, and he asked me a question about how I was able to do the work as a minister and maintain my integrity as well as my sanity. I thought for a moment, and I told him of a thought shared by President Woodrow Wilson. He said that the ministers work consists mainly in "being", not in doing or speaking. The secret is that you must "be" the pastor, not act the part at designated times. You must LIVE the ministry 24-7. It is who you are, not what you do. I'm convinced that there is no amount of professional skill or talent that can compensated for a lack of godliness in the man or woman of God.

I've thought about this throughout the day as I've gone about my business, and I think this has become an issue in the ministry today. There are too many who try to "act the part" when it is time to speak or do the things that we normally think of as ministry; but to be a true minister of the Gospel, it is who we are, not what we do. We are ministers in the home, in the work place, in the market... anywhere and everywhere. It flows through our veins. I've heard it said before that the best sermons are lived, not spoken. Today, the thought hit me, if someone were to observe my life, only seeing the me that exists outside the four walls of the church, would they know that I am a pastor? That's a really good question; one that I will have to keep present before me. Take away the suit and tie and the pulpit presence; I wonder what others see when they see the real me.