It's Not About Me

(This is a portion of a letter written to my leadership team Oct. 07)

Jesus was never afraid to ask his followers for a deep level of commitment. Jesus said, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39). Again in chapter 16:24-26 Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Does Jesus require any less of his disciples today? How much more is even required from us as leaders? Those are tough questions to flesh out in our “always on the run” culture today. Let’s be honest, in today’s success driven society, we never quit have enough time to do everything. We have commitments to school, our jobs, extracurricular activities, family, hobbies, friends, and church. Often a barrier to leadership is not a lack of commitment, but over-commitment to the wrong things (Luke 8:14).

Obviously as Christians, our first priority of commitment is to Christ – knowing Christ and making Him known. The question then for us is, where does our level of commitment to our church and personal ministry fall in comparison to our other “priorities”? Are we making an honest and ongoing effort to attend planning sessions and trainings for leadership and your area of ministry? Are we supporting our church and ministry through our tithes and offerings? Are we supporting our church and it’s leadership through word and deed? Are we denying ourselves in order to fulfill our responsibilities in leadership for this area of ministry?

The bottom line is – it’s not about me. It’s not about a youth pastor looking cool or somebody’s proverbial pat on back for a job well done. It’s not about a paycheck, recognition, or the accolades of men. It’s not about numbers, an awesome facility, or having the most spiritual teens in the county. It’s about denying yourself, taking up your cross and following our leader, Jesus Christ. It’s not about you or me.

So let me ask you. Are you ready to lose you life?

Continuing the revolution,
Pastor Roger Nelmes