The gift of the prophet
Avengers without love are not prophets. At the same time, lovers without a sense of accountability are not prophets either. The prophetic figure brings to a situation full of despair the face of feeling and the face of hope, the one who suffers because of us and believes in us at the same time. The prophet drags us by the hair of the head, if necessary, to the heights of our capacity and against our own worst will. The prophet comes with a father’s zeal and a mother’s love breathing the word of God and saying “I love you” at the same time.
One of the hardest things for a pastor is finding the balance. The hardest thing for the congregation is believing the pastor loves them. The hardest part for the pastor is knowing you can lead them, but you can’t change hard hearts. On the surface, that would be discouraging. Yet, I am continually reminded of this verse:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
So, for years now, I’ve been praying for people whose hearts seem to be a little on the hard side. For those people who seem to think they’ve got it all together and actually do no wrong, I pray for brokenness. For those people who still love their sin, I pray they develop a hatred for it. For those who have turned from their faith in God, I pray for a return. I pray that God will give them a new heart and a new spirit and remove their hard hearts so that transformation will take place.
But, as the pastor, I am continually reminded that transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I may be the change agent – or maybe not – but my only responsibility is to preach and teach the gospel. That’s how we get up every day and keep doing ministry even on the worst days.
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