How To Spot Pastor Worship
There is a fine line between honoring your pastor and worshiping your pastor. That fine line is something we rarely discuss within the church. Grab a seat – let’s talk.
What Is Pastor Worship? Pastor worship as defined by GotQuestions.Org is the act of elevating your pastor or spiritual leader to an unhealthy degree. Pastor worship can be overt, but more often subtle.
There are multiple ways that pastor worship can occur. In some cases, it occurs by a pastor grooming their congregation either intentionally or unintentionally. Not surprising, as pastors are humans and fallible. It becomes quite difficult to detect and correct when a pastor does not have people he is accountable to. When pastors build a culture that calls for members to be devoted to them and not God, pastor worship is inevitable.
As Christians, it is important for us to be able to spot pastor worship as we are called to only worship God and no one else. Here are the signs of pastor worship:
- Do you care more about obtaining your pastor’s approval and not God’s approval? I have come across Christians who would not choose a life partner without their pastor’s approval/permission. In some churches, the members are taught to seek the pastors advice before making any decision and while God may speak through your pastor, it is important that you seek God’s approval first above anyone else.
- Do you do anything your pastor tells you to do even if it is against the “word of God” or illogical? Sadly, people in power sometimes abuse their privilege. If you find yourself doing things that you should not be doing just because your pastor asked you to, it may be a clear sign that you have placed your pastor on a pedestal.
- Do you quote your pastor more than you quote the Bible? If every of your sentence starts with, “My pastor said…” or “My church…”, then you may want to reassess where your heart is.
- Do you overlook the fault and shortcomings of your pastor? Is your pastor infallible in your eyes? Do you loose all reason when it comes to you pastor and you defend character flaws? Or verbally attack anyone who speaks about your pastor? You should not judge your pastor but you should also understand that your pastor is a man and fallible.
- Does your life revolve around your pastor and church activities? Is your relationship with your pastor more important and time consuming that it begins to affect your relationship with God? Are the other relationships in your life suffering due to your relationship with your pastor? If this sounds familiar, it is time to focus on Jesus as opposed to man.
- Do you excessively praise your pastor? It’s a good thing to admire the grace of God in your pastors life and other great qualities. However, excessively praising your pastor is not good for you or your pastor. As a member, it becomes difficult for you to give balanced opinion or feedback. By excessively praising your pastor, you are placing a man on the same level as God. Also, turning your pastor to a “Christian Celebrity” poses more harm than good. We can help eliminate the culture of pastor worship in our churches by giving the right amount of praise when necessary.
It is very easy to say this cannot be you but let the Holy Spirit do the conviction. Any one is susceptible to pastor worship. If you have been convicted of pastor worship by the Holy Spirit or this article, please do not be hard on yourself.
Pastor worship thrives in isolation. Members are usually isolated from family and loved ones. Now more than ever, surround yourself with people who can let you know when you are being pulled back in. Focus on your relationship with God and possibly finding a new church.
Please share other signs of pastor worship in the comments below.
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