Tag: priority

  • Letter #38 (Treasure–1)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 state, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.”  Notice that the statement indicates your heart goes where you put your treasure.  In other words, where you invest your finances or other resources will reveal your priorities.

         If you will look at your banking app or your check register or whatever else you use to keep track of how you spend your money, you will see fairly quickly what you consider to be the important things of life. 

         We all know we have basic needs that have to be met—food, shelter, clothing and other needs essential to our existence.  Those are given expenses.  However, if you will look past those items to your expenditures other than those survival needs, you can see where you are prioritizing your spending.  Identify those things.  Then write them down somewhere and take a close look at the list.  These are your priorities.

         Now ask yourself a few questions:  How many of these things are luxuries instead of necessities?  Which items are purchased so I can keep up the appearance of success?  How many duplicates are there that are not essential to my existence?  Am I investing money in things that are satisfying desires and not needs?  How many of these items can I live without? 

         Two final questions:  Can I shift expenditures so I am benefitting others instead of myself?  How can I better use my money to benefit the Kingdom of God?

         If you can honestly answer these questions and make some decisions about how you are investing your money, you will be on track to using your money more efficiently and for better results, not just for yourself, but for the cause of Christ, too.

         Now, allow me to approach one of the controversial topics about money—tithing and free-will offerings.  Are you tithing and generous in your offerings?  If yes, great.  Keep doing that.  If not, start.  There is a definite spiritual principle involved in tithing and giving offerings.  You are demonstrating faith in God’s ability to help you survive on 90% or even less, depending on your offerings.  Remember all your blessings originate in God and His bountiful supply to His children.  The 100% came from Him.  It’s His anyway.  And God looks for our obedience in this area of using our money.  (Remember Malachi’s statements to Israel?)

         If your mind and bank account scream that you can’t make it on less than 100%, don’t listen to them.  If you honestly answer the questions about your spending from above, you should see areas in which you are spending money that does not just need to be spent.  There is a possibility that money should be your tithes and offerings.

         Allow a few examples, if you will.  How many times a week are you eating out instead of cooking at home?  Is lunch in a restaurant or out of a packed lunch from home?  Is the coffee shop one of your stops on the way to work, or are you bringing a thermos with a beverage you brewed for much less money?  How many full outfits of clothes are in your closet?  How often do you change vehicles and start financing all over again?  When was the last time you fixed something, instead of replacing it?  Do I need to continue?

         Please notice something about giving into God’s work—this will require obedience and self-discipline on your part.  It will require you to submit your desires and wants to God, as much as your needs, and to ask Him to show you how you can fulfill His will when it comes to your finances.  Please, please, work out your own giving through His guidance, and avoid the temptation to compare your giving to what others give.  The amount is not the critical aspect here.  The obedience is the important thing.  Obedience to God in giving will be rewarded.  It might not come this week or next month, but the reward will come.  God always honors diligent, persistent obedience to His spiritual principles.

         Another thought on this topic—be sure your people see you put your tithes into the offering plate or box or whatever system you use.  If you’re using all digital offerings and tithes, tell them that you have sent yours in and they can follow suit by making a few clicks, too.  Explain to them how to use the digital giving portal.   If you expect your people to give into the work of God, you need to show you are doing that, too.

         (This is probably enough to consider for this letter.  More about treasure in the next letter.)

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #37 (Talents)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

        (This one is a spiritual exercise as much as it is a letter.)

         Another indicator in determining your priorities is where you invest your talents (skills, abilities, God-given spiritual gifts).  You haven’t just learned knowledge that you can utilize.  You also have innate, natural abilities that come to you from your genetic makeup.  And the Holy Spirit has gifted you with one or more spiritual gifts as described in the New Testament letters.  All these combine to create a long list of talents you possess.

         Here are the questions you know are coming—How are you using your talents?  Where do you invest your knowledge and skills?  Have you shared your spiritual gifts with others to their benefit?

         Take a quick inventory.  What skills do you possess?  What specialized knowledge?  What spiritual gifts?

         Well, what are they?  I challenge you to make a list of what your talents are.  Go ahead.  Make an honest list.  Take a few minutes and write them down.

         Now that you have the list, what talents would you like to add to the list?  Write those down, too.

         How many of these talents are being used to bring glory to Jesus?  How many of them are strengthening the body of Christ?  How many of them are “the better gifts” that are designed to encourage and build up other disciples?

         At this point, it would be good for you to talk to the Holy Spirit and ask to be given the gifts He has available for you because scripture says He will give them out according to His will and His choice.  Then ask Him to help you develop any new gift He decides to give you and any new skill/knowledge He opens the door for you to acquire.

         Look at that list!  You are talented!  You have skills!  You have knowledge!  You have spiritual gifts!

         Use your talents to benefit the Kingdom of God.  If you are using some of them for other reasons than benefitting God’s Kingdom, ask yourself what those reasons are.  Then pray about the reasons that may not be helping others to get closer to God.  Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance if you believe you need to redirect some of your talents.  Ask God to show you how to use your talents best for your own growth, for our family’s future and for the advancement of the body of Christ.

         Remember, you will invest your talents into your priorities.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #36 (Time)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         In the last letter, which covered the topic of Priorities, I dealt with looking at how we invest our time as one of the indicators of what we consider priorities.  Allow me to continue approaching this topic of time and how we use it for a few minutes, with emphasis on one use of time.

         We all know we only have twenty-four hours in a day.  Part of that day must be invested in resting and part of it in eating and taking care of personal physical needs.  The big question about time is, “How do we spend the rest of our time daily?”

         We are exchanging our time for something; that’s why we say we are “spending time” doing that something.  Well, what should we be doing, as compared with what we actually do?  As pastors, how can we most efficiently use our time to fulfill our God-given call and to utilize our God-given talents?

         We usually attempt to block out time for things like visits to congregational members, counseling, Bible study, sermon preparations, administrative duties, and a host of other responsibilities that go along with the written or perceived ministry of being a pastor.  However, I sometimes wonder if there is an aspect of being a pastor that we overlook and simply do not put near the top of the list.  That something is time spent in prayer.

         While conducting a School of Christ International missions training at a Christian campground my wife and I used to manage, Bro. Bert Clendennen had a standing rule for each day of the training.  The prospective missionaries/ministers were required to meet before breakfast daily at a set time and pray for an hour.  The first day one of the ministers attending was about ten minutes late for prayer.  He was reminded of the beginning time.       

         The second day that same individual was late again.  Bro. Clendennen pulled him aside and indicated to him that he needed to pack his things and return home.  Then that wise man of God told the late one that if he could not control himself enough to get up on time and pray for at least an hour before the day started while here in the states where there was no real pressure on him, he would never succeed in the field, because there he would need to pray for a much longer time daily in order to serve in complete dedication and submission to God just to be able to stay alive, depending on the country in which he would serve.

         I’m reminded of how the original apostles had the large group of disciples choose out seven men to take care of the feeding ministry during the beginning days of the church.  They said that would enable them to devote their time to prayer and the ministry of the word.  I often wonder if that would work today.  What if disciples in whom trust could be placed took care of the physical needs of a congregation and the pastors devoted themselves prayer and talking about Jesus?

         My question is this–How much time do we pray daily?  If the answer is a hour, is that enough time?  If the answer is two hours, is that enough time?  

         How much is enough will probably depend on your schedule for the day.  It may depend on how much you expect to be fighting opposition to the teaching of the word in your town.  There are many other things that can influence how much time we spend in prayer.  But the bottom line is, are we praying in proportion to how much we are ministering?  Those original apostles decided to devote themselves to prayer and the word.  I imagine that involved a great deal more prayer than is talked about today.

         I read an article on prayer years ago that made an impression on me.  The writer (whose name I cannot remember for this letter) told his secretary to hold all his calls for two hours because he felt that day deserved at least that much time in prayer before continuing.  She looked at his schedule and saw he had one appointment for counselling that day.  One appointment.

         We know we are admonished in scriptures to pray constantly, in all things, with faith, through the powerful name of Jesus and His authority.  We know Jesus set aside time to pray, sometimes all night.  We know we are to pray with understanding and in the Spirit.  We know prayer matters and that it gets results, and those results can be miraculous. 

         Knowing all these things, we still procrastinate when it comes to the actual activity of praying.  When it comes to time, is prayer a priority for us?

         I challenge you to look at your daily schedule and see if you can determine just how much prayer time you are putting in for the Kingdom of God.  Then ask yourself if you think it is enough.  Perhaps we all can do better in how much time we invest in our prayer life.  I know I can.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor