Pharisee, Anyone?

A Sunday morning message that highlighted the story of woman with the alabaster jar at Simon's house, followed by a Wednesday devotional, of which that same story was the focus of the message. Both in the same week.

And as the service came to a close last night, I thought about how dangerous.. and easy it is for church leadership to find itself in similar standing to the Pharisee. Position, status and influence, perhaps unknowingly, come to the forefront of our perspective to the point we look at others and before we see them through the eyes of eternity, we view them with the lens that finds fault.

In the seconds that it took to have that revelation, Pastor begins to share from personal experience, the times where he caught himself having the realization; of just how easy it would be to look at the lives of others and think himself better. And just that quick, the importance of an awareness that understands the grace of God is revealed.

For were in not for His grace, through the power of forgiveness, we all would still stand condemned in our sins, much like the woman found herself in the house of the Pharisee.

Yet, church leadership find themselves in numerous levels of influence, multiple depths of knowledge and understanding of circumstances, the stories of secrets people would rather not be shared. And life continues daily. There's a respect of such confidence that needs to not only be understood, but also maintained with spirit of humility. For as soon as pride enters in as a result of knowing, the ability to be a trusted source of influence is lost.

Granted, its a process that erodes over time, but it begs the question.

Why confide in someone who views you with contempt? This is when leadership no longer lives up to its' name.

On this #deaconThursday, pray that church leadership would indeed, live up to the expectation and ability of true leadership. May they ever have the heart of a servant. Pray they would keep and maintain, at the forefront of their influence, a spirit of humility. Pray a Pharisaical spirit would ever keep it's distance; never having the remotest possibility of rearing its' ugly head, let alone gaining a foothold within the ministry and the church-at-large. May the grace that God has extended to us, flow through us, that we may extend it to others.

For we too, were once the "others"
That God desires to reach through the lives
Of those whom He had redeemed by grace.
For the glory of God.

- PNC