I was humbled, touched and encouraged, all at the same time, by an email I got from a friend about this past Sunday’s worship message (posted just below). I want to share it with you and then leave you with a final thought…
“I am always amazed at the impact that a minister of the gospel has when he makes himself vulnerable and shares his personal life experiences like you did yesterday. Dr. Stanley does it but I don’t see many others who personalize their ministries. It makes a huge difference. Even though in our heads we know that temptation and suffering are common to mankind, we still think pastors are immune and are on another plane than us mere mortals.
When you demolish that foolish notion as you did Sunday, we can identify with your suffering and it helps us to identify with the suffering that Christ did for us.”
Now to further support and encourage those that think they are the only ones that struggle with frustrations from Satan, this is what I was thinking as I was walking out of church immediately following the service; “People don’t need a pastor with even an appearance of weakness; I should never have made myself that vulnerable”.
Just a few minutes ago, I got a phone a call from another church friend and he said, “God was awesome in worship yesterday and I want you to know because you were strong enough to admit your weakness, now I see that with all my failures I can still serve God in a mighty way. My life and my marriage will never be the same.”
Did not Paul say something like “When I am at my weakest I am strongest” (2nd Corinthians 12:9)
Thank you Lord, and my friends, for reminding me, it is only when we are transparent that people see God hrough us.
Pastor Larry
Wow! That is so touching!!
They are right pastor larry. We go on our day to day struggling with our faults and although we know someone out there is going through what we are we still sometimes feel alone or ashamed that we are being weak.
“Dry up those tears”. But Sunday we realize that everyone gets tired, everyone has life leave them at times, but to see god come into our house of god and touch every single person by your time of spiritual mediation was great.
I wanted to let you know that it takes someone truly strong to show emotion, and sometime tears are what hugs the people around them!
We all love you and appreciate all you do!!!
Great thoughts. I’m thinking on this title…it’s a good one.
To have weaknesses is what makes us need Christ. To hide the weaknesses or project an aura of perfection seems to be what the Pharisees were all about. You didn’t act weak from the stage, you acted human, and to many of us, that was exactly what we needed to hear that morning – that we all struggle sometimes. Hats off to you Pastor, you followed as the Spirit led even though it may have been uncomfortable.