We Are All Called
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. -- Acts 8:4
What do you think your preacher should be doing today? Should he or she be visiting the sick? Should he be out ministering to the poor? Should you find him in the prisons praying or out helping an elderly widow with her yard work?
It doesn’t matter if what you call him -- pastor, minister, preacher, reverend, brother, priest -- or whether your pastor is a him or a her. We’ve all go some pretty clear ideas about he should be doing with his time.
Rarely do we a lot leisure time. Or even family time. Unless, of course, the leisure time and family time is spent at the church or in church activities. We want our pastors available all the time, but especially in an emergency.
I’ve been blessed over the years to have preachers who do show up when needed. It means so much to look up from your hospital bed and see your pastor walking in the door. Somehow it just seems that a pastor’s prayer is more powerful. I know. It isn’t true. But when you’re sick and hurting it sure seems that way.
It also seems that pastors are the perfect people to talk with folks about Jesus. We all want our family and friends to be believers. We want them to receive Jesus’ gift of eternal life. And we want our pastor to make it happen. I really don’t know why most of us seem to believe that it’s the pastor’s job to bring those closest to us to Jesus.
Okay. Maybe I do know why. It’s easier that way. We don’t have to face rejection. We don’t have to worry about word choices and not being able to find the right Scripture to answer a question. We can just decide it’s the pastor’s job and be done with it. That way if they don’t believe, it isn’t our fault.
It’s kind of ridiculous and not fair at all. First, the Bible tells us that all people -- that would include you and me -- are to spread the news of Jesus Christ. We don’t have to attend seminary. We don’t have to memorize the Bible. We don’t even have to know the right words. All we really need is a willing heart and a desire to do God’s will. The Holy Spirit will provide everything else we need.
The other reason it’s wrong for us to abdicate our responsibility is that we know the very people who need Jesus the most. We understand their hurts and fears. They are far more likely to listen to someone who cares about them than a stranger or someone they barely know.
So take a deep breath and ask God to tell you what to do. Then do it. Life is too short and eternity too long to wait even another day. Make time. Take courage. And tell people about your Lord and Savior. People are aching to fill that well deep inside of them. Are you willing to tell them how?
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