By Felton Lee Pratt from the May 24, 1975, White Wing Messenger. I pray you are edified by its sound instruction and encouragement.
We often hear the phrase, “He sure stands tall in his shoes,” or “He stands head and shoulders above everyone else.” These words do not imply that the man is bigger in proportion, size, or stature than other men, but rather that his accomplishments, feats, or position makes us think of him as being bigger than size alone.
I was once involved in a conversation with the president of the company I was employed by. He made the statement, “There goes a couple of big men.” He went on to explain that they were big in his eyes because they had started out as brothers in a paving company. They had organized on what money they could borrow between them, and at the age of forty-five they had both retired as millionaires. This is, of course, extraordinary, and in his eyes it made them seem to stand much taller and be big men.
We can, from this example, check to see if our spiritual vision is distorted in Church outlook. We many times look on a person who has power, quantity, or the center of attention as being big. Many fail to realize that we are looking at them as Little Red Riding Hood did the wolf. Our attention focuses on their seemingly apparent looks, and while we think we are looking on sweet old Grandma, we are actually fascinated by the look of the wolf. This need not be alarming if we make ourselves aware.
We must in some way counteract this fantasy of size. The way to do it is with a new set of values. Let us tell the widows who may not have much or think they do not contribute much service just how great a price is placed on their continued faithfulness. Let us tell the man who perhaps is not credited with a great event that we place value on his many years of devoted service. Let us tell the new Christian, who may feel inadequate and worthless because of his lack of experience, how important he is to those around him. Let us tell all their worth.
This brings up the importance of discretion in sizing up our workers in every phase of the work. Have we ever been guilty of saying or thinking only the weaker minister went to the small church or state and the best workers went only to the large churches or states? If we have been guilty of this, then as the old slogan goes, “Let us put our thinking hat on straight.”
I can think of a number of outstanding ministers who for different reasons have chosen to work where they could have quality and not just quantity. Many states and churches would still be barren today if this was not the case. This is not to make us think we must stay small, but that we can’t judge things of God by outward appearance alone.
I recently talked to a young minister who said when he started in the work he had the idea of pastoring a large church. He said he had changed his outlook and felt that God would be pleased with him working to help small churches to progress. The first thing that might come to our mind is that he wasn’t capable of anything more. This could be a distorted view however, because he, along with many others, have the qualifications for anywhere.
A minister must be careful not to get himself into such a financial bind or prestigious position that he can go only one way—to something bigger. It not only benefits the General Overseer or State Overseer, but it also benefits the one on the receiving end when he can keep from putting so many restrictions on his ministry. I’m sure every pastor at one time or another has thought to himself, “If only I wasn’t obligated so much, I would accept anything then.” Let us remember, if we are so obligated we cannot accept an appointment, then we have put ourselves there.
The other question being prestige, let us not get to thinking that others will think something drastic has happened to our ministry if we take something smaller. The trouble is that too many are simply looking for the church to take care of them, rather than they taking care of the flock. I remember the words of a good Overseer who said, “We must realize that the debt is now on our part to the flock, because the Church paid its debt to us when we received the message. Remember, money, even through the Church, becomes filthy lucre when thought on more than the other merits of the Church.”
Saints, beware! This is not a loophole for the laymen. A pastor, whether worthy or not, is still under God’s grace. God will take care of these things in due time. Do not look for an avenue of escape from doing those things which God has said “thou shalt do.” We may make excuses of many kinds, but even if nothing is done with the money which we may give we are still held accountable. Remember the man who had one talent and was afraid nothing could be done with it. The master told him he should have put it where he could draw some interest from it. That place is God’s Church. Let us not be caught putting anything of God’s elsewhere.