Anointing Isn’t About Your Following Size; It’s About Your Heart.
We need to get this right, Church. This is important!
I’m 47. Often people think I’m younger. I’ve been in ministry for over 25 years now (not as a senior pastor the whole time). Ministry is servanthood. It’s loving people. It’s walking in grace. It’s caring for the souls of men. It’s teaching the Word of God. It’s about growing each season. Will you make mistakes at times? Yes. We all do. Use them to grow and learn. Obviously, don’t do dumb things.
The reason I more often hang around older men of God and not as many of the younger guys is because I often find that some of the younger guys are quite prideful (not that older guys can’t be as well, because they can). This has just been my experience. They also are more prone to compete and compare, and some even get jealous and attack each other online. There are some younger guys I know who are humble, thank God. Those are the guys I run with.
Let me just share something with you, if that’s ok?
Just because someone has a huge following online doesn’t mean they are more anointed than the small church pastor or ministry leader. The guy with the larger following shouldn’t act as though he or she is better or can talk down to other pastors. That is not wise and, unfortunately, is also immature. It shows they lack understanding of how God works. God often uses the “least of these.” Look at David.
There are many small church pastors I know who carry a huge anointing and have been used by God mightily behind the scenes, in their community, and far beyond. They don’t necessarily show all their moves publicly because they are serving an audience of One. They are not looking for constant dopamine hits. They are just walking out their calling. We should not look at them as “less than” or someone who is less anointed than a person with a larger following. There are evil, worldly folks who have huge online followings and yet are not even remotely Christian. So that shows it’s not always a God thing.
In the age of social media, there is a stigma that anointing is measured by following size or church size. That’s not the case. There is also a lot of jockeying and positioning that goes on because people desire larger influence and platforms. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. As we have seen, it isn’t always a good thing to have a large church or ministry. Each leader must remain committed to their walk and the Bible. They must die to their flesh daily and stay in line with the Holy Spirit.
We cannot negate the anointing of the small-town pastor nor the remnant church’s influence. Yes, there are “remnant” pastors who have large churches and platforms, and that carries a big responsibility. But the anointing is not the same as talent, nor is it measured by ministry size or following.
We must be content with the portion that God has given us and steward it wisely. Ministry is not a game. It’s something that each individual should hold a healthy reverence and fear of the Lord in each and every season in order to finish well.
Just because I’ve only popped onto the national and international scene in the last 10 years or so doesn’t mean I am a new pastor. People should take the time to develop relationships and get to know each other in the Body of Christ. I’ve never in my life seen more people online picking each other apart. It literally has to stop. Such a bad testimony!
While this is happening, the world continues to go down a very dark path. The Body of Christ needs to stop trying to eat our own. Yes, there are some issues and things that need to be addressed, and I am all for that and thankful it’s happening. But we cannot continue down this path of attacking each other either. Nor should we demean or insult the pastors who may not have a larger church. We shouldn’t insult anyone.
Small church pastors, please hear this: you are the backbone of the American church. Without you, we would be doomed. I’ve met so many “famous” Christians, and I have to tell you, some are great and the real deal, while some are not. I was shocked at what I first saw when I got pulled into the larger Christian world many years back. It was not at all what I expected. I’ve learned some really hard lessons. If I didn’t have the encounter with God that I did, I may have left the church entirely. Many things have grieved my heart. They still do.
I just want to serve the Lord. I want to do what He has called me to do and to please Him. I want to finish well. Ministry is not for the faint of heart, especially today. As I’ve seen more of the growth and expansion of the territory in the ministry, I have to tell you, many things grieve my heart and sadden me. I hope to be the change. I have learned to keep my eyes on Jesus.
My advice to young ministers: watch your pride. Don’t think you are a hotshot. Be humble. Be teachable. Honor your elders. Steward what God has given you. Don’t think you know it all. Let’s bring back respect in the Body of Christ. Let’s do this right. We need to.
We have a country to save and a massive harvest of souls to tend to. Let’s be about His business! Together. Amen.
