It’s a unique call that we have — as pastors — one that necessitates our interest, and even interjection, into some of the most intimate details of other people’s lives.
A large part of our work centers around the spiritual development of other people — those we have been called to serve — and helping them to know how they can better work with God in the growing and maturing of their faith.
When this happens — when our students step into ownership of their faith and begin to take responsibility for intentionally pursuing Christ and living out their beliefs and convictions — it feels like we have front-row seats in the playing-out of a miracle! The transformation of someone’s heart, mind and soul — right before our very eyes. God’s work unfolding before us.
It’s a humbling privilege to say the least.
But it would seem that this kind of life transformation happens far less often than I would hope — which often leaves me feeling frustrated with students who appear far less interested in growing spiritually. I want them to want Christ as much as I want it for them — and when they don’t, I struggle.
Can you relate?
I don’t think it’s wrong to have high hopes for our students, but when our hopes become expectations — and we impose our expectations upon them — I believe we cross a line that is not ours to cross!
These words from Eugene Peterson have recently helped me to better understand this:
I was in the process of coming to terms with my congregation, just as they were: their less-than-developed emotional life, their lack of intellectual curiosity, their complacent acceptance of a world of consumption and diversion, their seemingly peripheral interest in God. I wasn’t giving up on them. I didn’t intend to leave them where I found them. By now I was prepared to enter a long process of growth in which they would discover for themselves the freshness of the Spirit giving vitality to the way they loved and worked and laughed and played. And I was finding areas of common ground that made us fellow pilgrims, comrades in arms in recognizing unexpected shards of beauty in worship and scripture and one another. I was learning to not impose my expectations of what I hoped for them but rather let them reveal to me, as they were able, who they were. I was becoming a pastor who wasn’t in a hurry.
So much depth and truth packed into this one paragraph.
What jumps out to me:
I wasn’t giving up on them.
I was prepared to enter a long process of growth in which they would discover…
I was finding areas of common ground that made us fellow pilgrims…
I was learning not to impose my expectations of what I hoped for them…
I was becoming a pastor who wasn’t in a hurry.
I’ve got a long way to go — no doubt.
I’m thankful (and proof) that God calls and uses imperfect people.
I’m trying to learn to hope for the best, be prepared for something less, and remember that I am simply a tool that God wants to use in His relationships with other people.
This really isn’t about me — but God’s relationship with others.
So here’s my question today:
- Where do you find yourself in this process of learning to live in the tension of hopes and expectations as a pastor to college students?
And for more posts inspired by Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor, see:
- Every Step An Arrival
- Helping Students Identify a Call to Pastor
- Pastoring in North America
- Local and Personally Present
- A Story Among Stories
- The Americanization of Congregation
6 thoughts on “Are Your Expectations Too High? Probably.”
I read this several hours ago thinking, yup this is me, and not really having an answer as to where I find myself in this process except to say that where I am isn’t working. At least I know that much, right? : ) Well, now that I’m a bit more awake, I think I’m at a place where I’m attempting to back off from the “Get to Know God Now!” campaign. It helps that I’m almost 2 years into this ministry. Though I feel as if this work will never become easy, I do see that simply being mentally available enough to kick back and have a good conversation with my students is huge and the more conversations I have, the less anxious I am to play savior.
But I’m task-driven and I want more for my students and I expect more. So to sit and listen (just listen) to where they are is quite difficult. Yet hope is not lost. I do have a plan. It’s called mentoring and I’m aiming to begin it more officially with my student leaders this fall. Intentional mentoring only works if the mentor isn’t trying to fix and save…
As a missionary where there is a huge decline in followers, I have to fine a balance in everything, but a friend gave me a really good advice before my first oversea missions trip.
“Expect nothing but anticipate everything.”
With this advice, I’m able to figure out with patience what works, what doesn’t work, and work better within the ministries. In the end, we can focus, like you said, focus on God’s relationship with others and His love would just explode.
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