Push or Pull

I’ve been thinking a lot about my job. I’m a pastor at a great church. I love what I do. I love the people I serve. But the question that I keep wrestling with am I supposed to push or pull.

Let me explain. I have ideas. I have things that I am passionate about. I have things that I think are pretty great and I think everyone should be a part of. But more often than not I feel like I am trying to pull people into the things that I want them to do, while they couldn’t care less about these things. So I spend a lot of time trying to pull people towards my agenda. This can be exhausting. I think this is what, more often than not leads to burn out in many pastors. They are using all of their energy trying to pull things that are not going to move.

On the other hand, occasionally people will come to me with an idea that they are passionate about. They are willing to put a team together, and even if I tried to stop them, they are determined to do this thing that they feel God is calling them to. In this situation, I get to help push the snowball down the hill, and get them started. Their passion and energy is used much more effectively. And I get to be the encourager and cheerleader for their passion.

If I had to choose between these two scenarios, I’m going to have to go with being a pusher rather than a puller. If pastors are the equippers of the saints, then they need to be pushing people into ministries that they are already passionate about.

But why do I (and others) keep pulling? In my opinion, it’s a control issue. Not that I’m controlling by nature, but I like to have the final stamp of approval, I like to be involved in the process all along the way, but is that healthy?

If we keep pulling people when they want to be pushed we are going to be just like the kid in the cartoon. And we aren’t going to make any progress whatsoever.

SO my prayer now is that God would use me to help people find the things that they are passionate about. And that I would get to push them off into their ministry. I’m praying that God would help Creekside to achieve the specific things that God wants us to achieve. I’m praying that I would be willing to let go of the reigns and trust more.