Kill Superpastor

Man, did this part of the book resonate with me. And what is so funny is that Mr. Bell had these worries and concerns pastoring around 10,000 people, and I have them and I pastor less than 100.

Here's a quote from Chapter 4...

"I meet so many people who have Superwhatever rattling around in their head. They have this person that they are convinced they are supposed to be, and their Superwhatever is killing them. They have this image they picked up over the years of how they are supposed to look and act and work and play and talk, and it's like a voice that never stops shouting in their ear. And the only way to not be killed by it is to shoot first.Yes, that is what I meant to write. You have to kill your Superwhatever.And you have to do it right now. Because your Superwhatever will rob you of today and tomorrow and the next day until you take it out back and end its life. Go do it. The book will be here when you get back."

We get these ideas in our head that we have to be people pleasers, that we can help every problem, that we can bring encouragement in so many situations. "Superpastor" becomes very real to us. Whenever we fail to visit everyone, or hit the homerun sermon, or plan out and attend all of the meetings, or have the 2 hour a day prayer life, or perfect and organize all of the different teachers, and teams in our churches or one of a million other responsiblities, we have this immense guilt. This guilt that we aren't working hard enough. That we must do more.

People who know me know that I have very strong "people-pleasing" tendencies. I really have to work hard at not worrying about what others think of my performance. I tend to give very pessimistic views of my abilities hoping that it will lower others expectations of me so that I can then exceed them and be found favorable in their sight.

But the only thing that really matters is this: Is God pleased with me? I need to fear him first and last and do my best to please him, and then let the chips fall where they may.

If God wants me to go to my kids' ballgame instead of seeing someone in the hospital, then I will do that. If God wants me to help someone throughout the week and it means I have a lousy sermon on Sunday, than I will do that. If God wants me 40 hours in the office, or 40 hours out in the field, or both, then that's what I must do.

This is really hard.

But when superpastor is finally done in, then liberty and grace can begin to take hold.

Lord, please help us to kill the superwhatevers in our lives.