“…that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Like everyone else on the planet, we preachers get in ruts.  That’s not all bad, because sometimes we need to put it on automatic and not to have to make critical decisions about mundane things.  The morning ritual of showering and dressing, the drive to the office, and such should not require our undivided attention.

But from time to time, we need some variety. Our outlook needs refreshing. Our output needs sharpening. Our spirits need an uplift.  Our days could use a new perspective.

Here are some quick fix-its for the pastor’s mental health….

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“Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ And He told them this parable…”.(Luke 15:2-3).

Ask Jesus a question and it reminded Him of a story.  Charge Him with something and it reminded HIm of a story.  Criticize Him and He thought of a story.

“He never spoke to them without telling stories” (Mark 4:34).

One thing about our Lord’s stories, they were never inappropriate, ill-chosen, or out of place.

They always fit perfectly.

That’s unlike the ones I sometimes tell and I’m guessing you also.

It’s hard to get these things just right.

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“So that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world….” (Philippians 2:15)

The largest antebellum plantation home in the country just learned an important lesson:  “How you appear to yourself is not necessarily how the outside world sees you.”  And similarly, “Sometimes it helps to get an outside opinion on how you are being perceived.”

Nottoway Plantation, situated halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans on the west (aka, the south) side of the Mississippi River, is said to be the largest plantation home in the country. Built by slaves in 1859, just before the Civil War, it serves today as a tourist attraction, a bed and breakfast, a restaurant, gift shop, and a site for conferences, weddings, and parties.

Recently, Nottoway (it’s actually located at White Castle, LA) was in the news because a singer canceled her retreat/concert there due to its slavery connections.  James Gill, columnist for the New Orleans Advocate, writing in the Sunday January 5, 2014 edition, gives the details.

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I know a few of those (ahem) big-shot pastors. And I know some things about them they don’t advertise.

That said, here is my list of what celebrity pastors feel that would surprise you.  (These are generalizations, of course, and do not fit all megachurch pastors.  However, you might be surprised to know how many it does fit! Smiley-face goes here.)

1) A sense of inadequacy.

It goes like this: “All the usual indicators say we’re going a great job, but if that’s the case, why do I feel like a failure, as though I’m missing something as clear as the nose on my face?  Maybe what I’m doing with God’s call is not such a good idea after all. But what about all those people who depend on me for their livelihood and those who say they look to me as their pastor?”

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“But encourage one another, so much the more, as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

It sounds like such fun, being an encourager of ministers of the gospel. And it is.

Except for when it’s not.

What does an encourager of preachers do when he finds those who need not so much encouragement as basic instruction?  They have fundamental problems in their preaching and need to make some serious changes but you’re in no position to tell them.

Compounding the problem, what if those preachers are being outwardly successful in their Kingdom work (as far as you can tell) in spite of their preaching flaws?

Many would say, “Leave it alone then. Clearly, the Lord is blessing, so maybe you are not the judge of their preaching.”

I happily admit I’m not the judge of anyone’s preaching.

However….

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“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking…..but in your thinking be mature” (I Corinthians 14:20).

I could wish that every pastor would use discernment. That he would “be smart.”

Or, phrased another way, I wish each preacher would determine that in the new year, he is going to work at using discernment and to do nothing impulsively, out of fear, or motivated by false guilt.

The “un-smart” pastor–to coin a term–does things that are unwise and unhealthy and in the long run, not beneficial to the Kingdom nor to his people.  Take what an unsmart pastor does about his preaching, for instance…..

1) The unsmart pastor skips the hard work of sermon preparation. He is lazy.

The smart pastor knows this is his most important work and is always thinking about the next sermons, even to the point of rising from the bed and looking up something that occurred to him.

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