Anticipation and Perspective
By Wayne Williams --
I know I’m not alone in this, but I for one am very glad that Greg Lunsford has joined us as our Lead Pastor. With each step in the process, the candidating, the church’s strong vote of approval, our invitation to come work with us, and Greg’s enthusiastic acceptance of that invitation, my anticipation grew. I have also been aware that as my anticipation grew, my perspective on ministry and even on life began to change.
As the former Lead Pastor and then Interim Lead Pastor, I can tell you that GPBC has made my ministry here an absolute delight! Pastors of other churches should be jealous. I can also tell you though, that the role of Lead Pastor, even in the best of churches, has some unique pressures and burdens.
No matter how many years a pastor has been preaching, there is still pressure around creating a fresh sermon each week that is faithful to the Bible, relevant to the lives of this congregation, and Jesus-exalting. Then there are multitudes of issues to wrestle with, very few of which have black or white resolutions. Decisions to be made that impact the lives of individuals, families, and the whole church are common and often burdensome.
But what I noticed is that as Greg’s coming became more certain and my anticipation grew, those pastoral pressures and burdens became lighter. Knowing that responsibility for those things would necessarily shift in time to Greg’s very capable shoulders relieved some of the pressure and lifted some of the weight of the burdens.
In Luke 21, Jesus said that we, his followers, should anticipate his coming “on a cloud with power and great glory” and that it should change our perspective on the cares and “worries of this life.” The second coming of Jesus is a way bigger event to anticipate than the coming of a new lead pastor, and it stands to reason that the change in our perspective should be way bigger as well.
For all of this life’s worries, the physical, emotional, mental, relational, financial, social, cultural, and spiritual dilemmas, decisions, and pressures we face, the Bible says Jesus is ready to take responsibility, even now, for the outcomes if we will let him. Shifting responsibility to his capable shoulders can lighten your load right now. But, when he returns, he will resolve all dilemmas, right every wrong, and do justice where there was none. Jesus said living in anticipation of his return will prevent our hearts from being “weighed down” with the anxieties of this life.
I must confess that, although I firmly believe that Jesus is coming back, I don’t view every problem or pressure or burden from the perspective of his return. Do you? I need and want to grow in that perspective. Do you? Can we agree to help each other with that?