I pointed out in a sermon on 1 Thessalonians 2 last week that for many people their relationship to their minister is about as deep as their relationship to their hairdresser! You wouldn’t ask your hairdresser for advice if you were thinking about moving away or a career change (unless it was hairdressing); so why would you ask your minister for advice about these things?! But we saw Paul describe his relationship to the church in Thessalonica as “like a nursing mother, taking care of her own children” (1 Thess 2:7) and “like a father with his children” (v.11). God hasn’t designed ministers to be professionals, who provide a service to you, like a haircut. No, ministers “are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will give an account” (Heb 13:17).
So, I thought it might be helpful to give examples of things you can ask my advice on. While you’re welcome to ask my advice about what car to buy, or what colour to paint your walls, it probably wouldn’t be very valuable – I don’t have a clue about cars! But here are some things as a minister I am qualified to help you with:
- what to do in a conflict situation.
- big decisions, like getting married, moving house, changing jobs…
- marriage questions e.g. how husbands and wives should relate.
- parenting, how to teach your children in the faith.
- sins you struggle with.
- what to commit your time to.
- how to get more out of church.
There’s a lot of bad advice out there; Psalm 1 calls it: “the counsel of the wicked”. But the Bible says: “the unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). I’m not pretending to be an expert in the areas above in and of myself. But I do know that the Bible applies to these areas of life. So, please be assured: I’m here to help you unfold God’s words into the details of your life and love to do it.
