Pastor Submission

Dear Victorious,

Do you really obey your pastor? I don't know if I can really do that.

Darrell C. - Tulsa, OK

Dear Darrell,

Yes, I think I do. I attend a large church and don't have a relationship with my pastor though. So he doesn't ask much of me personally. But I was called by God to attend that church. When I got there, I saw the pastor preaching on the stage. God told me, "Submit yourself to this man." I've been there going on three years now - and have done my best to submit myself to that man.

Having said this, I will confess that I don't always agree with what's going on in my church. I have had less than pleasant experiences with some of the church ministries and staff. But those are times that test my submission to the pastor of the church. I have to go away, talk to God about my disappointment or frustration - and decide whether I'm submitted there or not. You see, it is not a matter of submitting only when I agree. True submission isn't proven until we get to points where I disagree.

If you're not sure if you can submit yourself to your pastor, I encourage you to examine the reasons why. Is it that your pastor is an ungodly man and God tells you not to submit to him? Or is it that you are immature, weak, or selfish? If it is the former - then you need to ask God where you are supposed to be and to whom you are supposed to submit. But if it is the latter, then you need to get to work on the roadblocks to your godly submission.

In my life, submission has been a journey. It wasn't that many years ago that I wasn't very good at submitting to my pastor - and a dear brother in Christ told me so in no uncertain terms! He was right. And his rebuke forced me to examine myself. As I've grown in Christ, I've found that submitting to the spiritual leaders God places in my life gets easier. I bet it will for you too.