Skip to main content

Why pastors should not be stuffers (how the gospel frees us to be vulnerable)


An OBC friend in seminary told me about some advice his OBC pastor gave him about becoming a pastor: “When you go into ministry, you have to swallow everything”. This counsel was given in the context of how a pastor should deal with his own personal struggles and complaints concerning ministry. Swallow up struggles. Do not voice complaints. Don’t expose weakness, especially to your congregation. And never, ever cry over yourself.

I believe this pastor’s perspective is fairly typical in the Asian immigrant church (and possibly most churches). Asian pastors and church leaders tend to stuff their emotions and complaints. As Asian pastors, we place a high value on emotional restraint and saving face, we don’t want to burden people with our own struggles (we’re paid to serve others after all), and we don’t want to appear weak or incapable of leadership. Even in college, I remember hearing counsel from a Korean church leader on how to teach bible study: “Be careful not share too much about your own weaknesses and struggles because you want to be a good example for others”.

The gospel offers a different perspective on vulnerability. We meet David who wears his heart on his sleeve and publicly voices his complaints to God through the Psalms. We meet Paul, who confesses about the thorn in his flesh, shares how Christ is glorified in his weakness, and is emotionally effusive towards the church. And there is Jesus, who before the cross, complains before God the Father to take this cup from me. He is the Jesus who gets thirsty and asks for a drink of water. He is the Jesus who when tired, sits down and rests. He, the Son of God and Lord of Lords, is neither afraid nor ashamed to be vulnerable.

The freedom to be vulnerable comes from safety and intimacy. We must feel safe from attack and the gospel is the greatest protection. The gospel addresses our most toxic emotions: guilt, shame, and worthlessness. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, our sin is no longer counted against us. Because Jesus took on our shame and covered our nakedness, we can show our face in the midst of humiliation. Because of Jesus defined our tremendous value by the cross, our worth is no longer threatened when our image suffers. This kind of safety makes it possible to risk exposure because there is no attack that can truly harm us.

It is not enough to feel safe though. Feeling safe does not inspire risk-taking. We must recognize that vulnerability builds relationship, first with God and then with others. God became flesh and became vulnerable in order for us to have true intimacy with Him. He desires the same in our relationships with each other. And through His Spirit, we are each called to the holy priesthood. Through His Spirit, we are being shaped into Christ’s likeness. Through His Spirit, our weaknesses are being redeemed for good. What do we have to hide? We are empowered and motivated to be transparent with each other because it allows us to be known.

The freedom of the gospel rebukes everyone - even the seemingly vulnerable people. I am naturally a candid person and most weaknesses are easy for me to share. But at times my vulnerability is motivated by a need for attention. In addition, there are other areas of my life that are more challenging to reveal. For me, the freedom to be vulnerable is not so much about the initial sharing of weakness, it’s the ongoing share of persistent sin and struggle. I know I will be accepted the first time I open about my sin, but what about a year later and its the 279th time?

What really reinforced this for me was when an OBC friend shared how she came to Christ in Switzerland fifteen years ago. She spoke little French and was invited to a bible study by a French-speaking Swiss believer. During the study (in which she understood nothing), she watched in horror as one of the men started talking and then broke down in tears. After the study, she asked her Swiss friend in English if something terrible had happened to the man. The Swiss believer said no. In the midst of sharing his struggles, he had been overwhelmed by the love of God in the face of his weakness. My OBC friend was amazed that a big, strong man would cry about his weakness out of joy not sadness. The incident struck her as strange yet compelling and brought her a step closer to following Jesus. Its hearing stories like these that stir my heart and make me so excited to be a Christian. It gives flesh to the words that Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. The gospel gives tears to the vulnerable and hearts are watered by it.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Dad's Review of Passport 2 Purity

[3,100 words, 11 minute read] The sex talk is one of the most dreaded conversations parents anticipate having with their children. To make things easier, an entire industry exists to help parents with sex education. Dozens of books have been written to help parents navigate this treacherous topic with their progeny. One of the best known among evangelicals is called the Passport 2 Purity Getaway package . It is produced by FamilyLife, a division of Cru (former Campus Crusade for Christ) and consists of a five lecture CD package including a journal and exercises designed as a weekend retreat for a pre-pubescent child and his/her parent(s). Passport 2 Purity was not my initiative. Our trip came about because Judy had heard from several home-schooling mom friends how they had taken their daughters on a road trip to go through the CDs. She even heard how a mom took a trip with husband and two sons to through the curriculum. So a couple months ago, Judy suggested we take our two older boy

A Man's Review of How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk

Van Epp’s RAM Model helps men set the pace in dating relationships When a man learns ballroom dance, he takes the lead and his partner follows. If he’s dancing the tango, he maintains a strong frame - right elbow up, straight posture, and a firm but gentle hand cupping his partner’s shoulder blade. Once the music starts, he moves in rhythm with the beat and takes decisive steps. He sets the pace. John Van Epp’s classic tome, How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk is a ballroom dance guide for dating. It’s written to help men and women to determine the right tempo to pace their dating relationship. Though the book does not specifically address men, this Art of Manliness interview with Van Epp does. General relationship books are often addressed primarily to women, as evidenced by “jerk” in the title, which is a gendered term for men. In spite of the title, the book offers a road map for how men can lead in a dating relationship. There’s a strong case for affirming traditional

Why Asians Run Slower

My brother got me David Epstein's book The Sports Gene . It is a fascinating quick read. If you're interested in sports and science, it will enthrall you.  I finished it in three days. Epstein's point is that far more of an athlete's performance is due to genetics than due to the so-called "10,000 hour" rule promulgated by books such as Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin (both which are very good). The 10,000 hour rule states that any person can reach expert level of performance in a sport if they devote 10,000 hours of deliberate and intentional practice.  That's a lot of hours. Most people aren't capable of anywhere close. And that's precisely Epstein's point. Someone who devotes 10,000 hours of sport-specific practice is likely genetically gifted for the sport in extraordinary ways AND genetically gifted in their ability to persevere and benefit from practice. Therefore, a person who can pra