The Parent and the Pastor

 The Parent and The Pastor

As A Parent....
You want good for your children.
You want them to be healthy
And to excel and do well in life

Yet, there are times....
when you have to have a talk with them.
They're getting into things they shouldn't.
At times, they are putting theirself in danger.
May even be putting their sibling in harms way as well.
You, as the parent,  see how what they're doing will harm them.
Sometimes,  no matter how much you admonish or try to reason with them, they continue to do it anyway,  pushing boundaries.
The last resort is issuing correction or instituting a punishment.

Your child whom you love...
Cries
Gets angry with you
Accuses you of hating them
You hear them falsely accuse, "you don't love me!"
Or even,  "Abuse!"
And yet that is the furthest from the truth.
It is BECAUSE you love them
It is BECAUSE you care
that you had to correct or punish them.
You understand that even though they may not at the moment.

Your Pastor...
Wants good for those God has placed in his care.
He want you to be healthy spiritually
And to excel and do well in the Kingdom of God.

Yet, there are times....
when your Pastor may have to talk with you.
He sees you're getting into things you shouldn't.
God shows him you are putting yourself in danger.
Your actions may even be influencing someone else and putting them in harms way (spiritually) as well.
As the Pastor, he sees the danger lying ahead.
Sometimes,  no matter how much he admonishes or tries to reason with them, they continue to do it anyway,  pushing boundaries.
The last resort is to issue a biblical correction.

This person whom the Pastor loves and cares for...
Cries
Gets angry with him
Accuses him of hating them
He hears them falsely accuse, "you don't love me!"
Or even,  "Church hurt!"
And yet that is the furthest from the truth.
It is BECAUSE he loves them
It is BECAUSE he cares
that he had to admonish them.
He understands this even though that person may not at the moment.

And, It is his duty - Biblically.
The Pastor is mandated by God to teach us the difference between what is right and what is wrong,  between what is holy and what is profane. (Ezek 44:23)
If the Pastor does not sound the alarm warning of danger, then God said our blood will be on his hands.  (Ezek 3:17-21 + 18:24-32 + 33:1-9)

That is a heavy responsibility. 
It is BECAUSE God loves us. (Heb 12:6)
It is BECAUSE the Pastor loves us.
If he didn't love you,  he wouldn't warn.

The Holy Ghost laid this heavily on my mind Monday morning (2-5-24) before I was even fully awake.

God is trying to admonish someone.
Will you hear and heed His voice.
Don't harden your heart.
God is reaching - BECAUSE He loves you.