Don’t be the Taylor Swift of preachers...

I’m not in the market (and even if I was it wouldn’t happen) but I don’t think I’d want to risk dating Taylor Swift. Now, to be sure she is a very lovely young lady and obviously has tremendous talents with a huge following of very passionate fans. She’s earned over 165 million dollars in the last four years.  But knowing that if I broke up or hurt her there’d be a song about it for the rest of time (in the last 5 years she has had at least 5 serious relationships that have ended with at least one song).  It’d be a hit and it would be clear it was me. And I would be the latest in the list of folks who hurt a pretty, sweet, delicate, and talented girl. It’d be embarrassing and my name would be mud. But this isn’t really about dating Taylor Swift. It’s really to my minister friends. Listen up.

Don’t write a song, tell the church, write them up or wear it on your face or your sleeve or bring it to the pulpit every time an eldership mistreats you, or someone tries to burn your ministry down, or your lesson or program gets a bad critique by a critic. When you leave a church and the circumstances aren’t best, don’t write a song about it!  If you do this long and if you do this well you are going to make mistakes, have intense critics who act toward you and your family in ungodly ways, go through “battles” with your elders that you will not “win”, stumble and fall and be extremely frustrated. The only way to not face those things is to quit before you start or to never make a splash or attempt to impact a life or congregation.  And if that’s your desire, sell shoes instead. Cause if there’s one thing the world needs more of it’s shoe salesmen and if there’s one thing it needs less of it’s joyless preachers.

Now, don’t misread me. I love my brothers in ministry and know the unjust pain you often feel.  You need people you can moan and mourn with. You need confidents on whom you can unload your baggage. You need older preachers you can vent to, just to vent. You need to let it out and not be a volcano that eventually explodes and hurts innocent pew-standers.

May I offer two warnings: One, don’t become an open sore. That guy who is Eeyore’ish and always unhappy about someone or something.  And two, move on quickly from a hurt.  OK, I said two but I’m giving you three (hey, everyone loves a bonus) - the person you need to tell the most is God! Talk it out in prayer with Him. He knows, He understands, He loves you more than anyone and He will not forget His own.

Got it? Good.

"...rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified" (1 Peter 4:13-14).

"... if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed" (1 Peter 3:14).

"...Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20).

* ED NOTE: (To keep me from either being sued by Taylor Swift or have a song written about me by her). This is not written to belittle or in anyway to be critical of Taylor Swift's singing or talents or her right to write what songs she wishes.