Don't Shoot the Messenger!

Looking at the choosing of the 12 disciples and Jesus ministry really makes me think. You would think that an all powerful God that created it all would be able to influence the entire world to believe just by proclamation! But God doesn't do that does he?

Jesus calls disciples to carry the message not because He can't carry it on His own. But because Jesus wants us to realize that it is more than just the message. It's about the messenger combined with the message.

Deciphering my call to be a Pastor is a difficult journey because I want God to simply place me where I can be the most effective fisher of men. Being a Pastor makes it difficult for me to be a fisher of men. Mainly because people expect it and are put off by it. But then I realize that just because I am a Pastor doesn't mean I should be put off by not being effective as a fisher of men, but rather remain trust in God and the Holy Spirit to use even me as a fisher of men.

I can simply provide the message of God's love and of Christ's suffering and death and resurrection, teach about the Bible and just leave it at that. But will that make you believe? The Word is already there, the Bible is already written and taught, it doesn't need to be retaught exactly as it is written. For this very reason, Christ called disciples who's lives will impact the message in others. The lives and stories of the disciples will work in conjunction with the Word of God to make them fishers of men.

Therefore, we cannot simply preach the Bible, but we need to use our lives and our stories to be a fisher of men. Therefore, you have the message to provide to everyone you build relationships with and you have the life that lines up directly with the life of another to be the perfect messenger with the perfect message.

So don't shoot the messenger! Because the message they may provide may be the very thing you need to hear.