Dear Pastor,
Here is the difficult news: you will always have someone who thinks you should be doing something different than you are.
Don’t worry about that. You don’t live or minister to make them happy. You aren’t seeking their approval. You won’t stand before them on judgment day.
There is something that is common to all of us, and that is that we do not like letting people down, we don’t like conflict and we don’t like disapproval from people we respect. We also don’t like persecution, belittling or bullying. And although you may have heard people say that Christians in America don’t know what persecution is, the reality is that when we are simply seeking to love people to Jesus, preach His Word and invite people to receive His promises and then other people go out of their way to gossip about us, impune our character, defy our leadership or directly confront or attack us with their words, it really hurts and we can clearly say we know what it is to suffer for Christ.
Here is the good news: when we participate in the suffering of Christ we will also participate in the glory of Christ. (see 1 Peter 4:13) We also know that we are blessed when people “insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of (Christ)” – Matthew 5:11.
So please, when you are judged, rejected, maligned or otherwise count is all joy (James 1:2) and remember that you can “rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12)
Trust me, I know how much it hurts, how easy it is to second guess yourself and even the PTS (post-traumatic stress) that occurs each and every time someone else comes up to you with “constructive criticism” or a “little advice” but please know that God is with you and for you, and even when it stings or even cuts like a knife God is able to work deeply in and through you for healing, and for the sharing His grace, truth and love, regardless of how the people around you react.
I will be praying that you will indeed have the enveloping and comforting love of Jesus to help you through your own personal pain and also the confidence and boldness of God to help you love those who hurt you and minister to those that God brings before you.
Christ is with us, Christ is in us!
Mike J
Pastor Encouragement 