Your Pastor Has Feet of Clay, Too

 May 19, 2024

Sunday

Maybe you have heard a story of the preacher who left his microphone on after a worship service and could be heard verbally destroying a church staff member. The person reporting this said something like, "I could never listen to that preacher again." I am a pastor and I know some things about pastors.

Pastors are human. We can be in the flesh as much as anyone. I am sure that there are pastors who have complete control of their tongues when they get upset. I am not one of them. That doesn't excuse my outbursts. But to elevate a pastor beyond being human is setting oneself up for a huge disappointment.

Pastors need forgiveness as much as anyone. Sure, it may seem that pastors are supposed to give forgiveness but never sin against anyone but that isn't true. I say things that I shouldn't. I have hurt people. Again, saying this doesn't mean that I should be excused for these sins. It means that the forgiveness that I preach must also be given to me. 

Pastors should neither condemn nor be condemned for their momentary lapses in anger. Pastors get hungry, just like others. We get stressed, just like others. We have pet peeves, just like others. We have expectations, just like others. Things set us off, just like others. Pastors need to be treated just like others. 

Pastors lose focus. It seems like someone who spends so much time in God's word should be just about perfect but our walks with the Lord are just like anyone else's. We can go from spiritual to fleshly in mere moments. Of course, we can also feel great remorse for what we have said or done. 

I am not nearly the person my church hopes I am. I have feet of clay. I don't like it. I don't want to be that way but out of the blue I act like I may not know the Lord in moments that get away from me. I need repentance. Yes. But I also need forgiveness from God and the congregation.

If you can forgive your pastor, you can forgive anyone. After all, who should know better than he when it comes to what is right and wrong?

Colossians 3:12–13 (NASB 2020) ¹² So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also.