Be Teachable: A Response

I really enjoyed both of the readings this week, and I struggled with writing this review. I mean, I thought the content was dead-on, but I guess it might have hit a little close to home. The area that caused me the most struggle was the area of pride.

 Youth pastors are completely present in a world dominated by insecurities. Many teenagers struggle with these ideas, and many youth pastors are constantly fighting stigmas and stereotypes of being glorified babysitters and insignificant compared to their church’s “real pastor.”

 Although most of us say it’s the depth of our ministry and not the numbers that truly count, we still all seem to struggle with the numbers. I’m constantly haunted by the numbers game in my mind, and it’s an area that’s hard for me to overcome.

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 On the other hand, I have no issue with the idea that I’m to be constantly learning and growing—but I struggle in the doing part of this idea. I’m married and have four kids, and to be honest, I struggle just doing my daily devotions. I have a stack of books waiting for me to read that are all geared at helping me grow, yet in this current situation they’re completely useless—they’re just a stack of books.
What’s my assessment of the readings this week? Well, I guess they are acting as markers and motivators in my life. They’ve made me think about myself and take inventory, and they’ve caused me to be honest with myself. Even now I’m writing this out of sheer determination—I’m unmotivated and struggling.

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I say thank you to Kurt and Josh, and I pray that this message is one that can help all of us. Let’s fight the feelings of insignificance, stop making excuses, stop being apathetic, and start sitting down and struggling through things. If you’re struggling with insecurities and going through a “numbers crisis” in your ministry, then I invite you to join me in prayer—prayer that we can each be a humble and teachable person.