Respect, Acceptance, & Tolerance

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Featured Devotion

Written by Terry Nance

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
(Hebrews 13:17 NIV)

An armorbearer must have a deep-down sense of respect for his leader and acceptance for and tolerance of his leader's personality and way of doing things.

God made us all different. Many times, your pastor's way of doing things will differ from yours. That difference should not be allowed to cause a problem for you or your spiritual leader, however.

Several years ago, I learned a secret that has helped me to flow in harmony with my pastor. I determined that if the end result of my pastor's plan is to build and extend the Kingdom of God and win souls for Jesus, then I am willing to flow with the plan. Our goal is the same; our methods may be different. But what does it really matter whose methods are used, as long as the goal is reached?

If you will adopt this attitude toward your pastor, there will be a knitting of hearts between the two of you. He will know that you are not there to argue with him or to challenge his decisions, but that you are there to work with him in achieving his God-given objectives.

Developing the Spirit of an Armorbearer
Examine your heart by asking yourself the following questions:

Has God called me to serve this leader?
What is the leader's goal? Is it the same as mine?
If our goal is the same, how do our methods for achieving it differ?
Are the leader's methods in line with God's Word?
Have I prayed for my leader to be led by the Spirit in this endeavor?
What is my attitude toward my leader and his way of doing things?
Where do I need to adjust my attitude? Am I willing to adopt my leader's methods? If not, why?
Assuming that you share your leader's goals, that his methods line up with God's Word, and that you are willing to adopt his methods, make the quality decision today to submit to your leader's direction and follow him cheerfully and wholeheartedly.

Heavenly Father, sometimes it is hard to "go with the flow" because my leader does things so differently from the way I would do them. I acknowledge, however, that You are the One who put him into this place of authority and You've called me to assist him. As long as his methods don't contradict Your Word, I will submit myself to them. I pray continually that my leader will hear Your voice and obey Your commands. Amen.

Source: God's Armorbearer Devotional by Terry Nance
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers