Competence

I have always maintained that pastors may not feel "qualified" or "capable" of fulfilling the pastoral role, but we can be (by the gifts and power of the Spirit) "competent" to do so. So, for me, overconfidence has never been an issue, though pride has! And there's a huge difference between the two. (And, of course, we will always be more competent in some areas than in others. Wisdom comes in understanding that a great leader has great weaknesses as well as great strengths.)

This issue of competence was brought home to me recently while helping a married couple work through some problems in their marriage. They were in a virtual panic over an issue that had arisen between them. Years ago I might have shared in that panic -- or at least been somewhat bewildered by their situation. But over the course of 30 years of ministry, I've been through this many times, and I felt quite competent to deal with it (I suppose much like a physician who has done a procedure enough times that it becomes second nature). And I believe that my own sense of competence contributed to helping the couple relax and understand that this wasn't the end of their world. In fact, it was -- as I thought it would be -- the beginning of a new and positive phase in their relationship together.

One of the benefits of a long-term pastorate is really getting to know your people and being able to cut through a lot of peripheral issues because of the relationship you've developed with them over the years. Had this couple gone to an anonymous counselor, I suspect it would have taken a lot longer for the three of them to work through the issues. (I'll return to this theme sometime in the future, because I'm convinced that this lack of anonymity between pastor and members is sometimes very helpful and sometimes not!)