A college roommate used to brag about his cowboy boots. He had saved up his money and bought some expensive boots made of elephant skin. At least that is what he claimed. They were beautiful, and he told me many times they were virtually indestructible. He claimed they were the best and strongest cowboy boots ever made.

I have thought about those boots numerous times over the years. The thick skin of that elephant has become a metaphor for what it is like to be a Church pastor. You must develop a tough outer layer that is virtually indestructible.

Sadly, some people see a pastor as an easy target for their anger, disappointment, and frustration. I have been accused of all kinds of evil, from hating people to some specific sin. A man led a faction of 80 people out of the Church I was leading. A group once put together a “Pastor Appreciation” video that was actually several people saying that I needed to be a better leader. I have received nasty emails and anonymous notes. People I thought were my friends have left the Church and publicly criticized me. I could write several pages about everything I have experienced in my life and continue to endure. The list of people who hate me is probably longer than the list of those who like me.

Elephant skin is tough. Ministry is tougher.

Why do it then? I mean, most of the people I went to college with have already quit. Only a handful remain in full-time ministry. Why not quit and enjoy a normal life?

The Apostle Paul addresses this in his second letter to the Christians in the city of Corinth. There he writes about his ministry. “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16–18.

I continued to do ministry because my eyes are firmly fixed on eternity. What I have experienced is nothing compared to the glory of what lies ahead.

There is nothing this life can throw at me, or at you, that compares to the glories of heaven. Remind yourself, as I do, that when being a Christian is hard, our hope is heaven, and our home is not of this world.

They called him “Dirty Dan.” It wasn’t because he did anything dirty; it was because he loved all things outdoors. He hiked, camped, and even worked on a water conservation project.

Dan’s claim to fame was leading groups of young people on overnight trips. Whenever he did, he brought his ukulele and sang. His songs were mostly about science and nature. They were fun little ditties that made us laugh while teaching us things most children only learned from textbooks.

I thoroughly enjoyed every trip with Dan, and all the students did too. Whenever they saw Dan, they cheered, and the excitement was palpable. He was a local hero to all the fifth- and sixth-grade kids.

You have probably never heard of Dan until now, because his popularity is fairly limited to schoolchildren interested in the outdoors in one little section of the country. Still, there is something great about him. He wasn’t seeking a national spotlight, a huge recording contract, or enormous popularity. He loved the outdoors and wanted to share it with the next generation.

The Church needs more people who are willing to be local heroes. Their popularity might never go beyond the walls of a single Church building, but when they show up, kids get excited and know they will enjoy their time learning about the things of God. Christianity needs more people who simply love Jesus and want to share that with the next generation.

My son and I boarded a boat with a group of kids heading out on a field trip. At the time, I lived in Alaska, and when we took field trips, we went into the wilderness or the ocean bordering our town. This one took us out to explore the mysteries of the wildlife around our seaside town.

When we were all on board, the captain came out to the deck where we were all standing. He had a microphone and began to address us. “I am a curmudgeon,” he started, “does anyone know what that means?” 

There was a silence, and he finally said, “That means I am a grumpy old man.” He continued, “And right now I am in a good mood, and I want to end this trip still in a good mood. For that to happen, you are going to have to listen to my instructions.” Then he launched into everything we were to do to stay safe.

While out on the sea, a student would start into some questionable behavior, and he would say, “Don’t forget I am a curmudgeon, and you don’t want to make me upset.”

One challenge for Christians is to start their journey of faith and not turn into an old curmudgeon. It is easy to start out walking with Jesus full of love, kindness, and hope. Slowly, over time, we become repeatedly disappointed until we are stubborn, grouchy complainers.

A life of faith should make us kinder, gentler, and more patient with age. The fruit of the Spirit should become sweeter with age and not more bitter. The Church is not a gathering of curmudgeons who are ready to explode; it is a group of transformed people who have spent a life with Jesus and become altruistic.

The video stated that “this one thing will change your marriage.”

The booklet I received was promoted as “the one thing that will change your church.”

The author said that if I did “this one thing” in his book, it would revolutionize my life.

All those statements were gross exaggerations. They probably should have been billed as, “One important thing to consider.”

Everyone is looking for a magic solution to their problems. We want to do one thing and reap the rewards of a singular change.

It never works that way.

You are not one small adjustment away from becoming someone different in any arena of life. Transformation happens one decision at a time and one day at a time. Our focus should not be on finding some mythological solution that will change everything in an instant. Rather, we should commit ourselves to doing the next right thing.

Maybe the next right thing is having a difficult conversation.

Maybe it is opening your Bible.

Maybe it is choosing patience when you would rather react.

Maybe it is simply getting up tomorrow and doing it all over again.

As you start a new week, I want to release you from the stress of finding that missing practice, secret principle, or “one thing” that will suddenly change everything.

You probably don’t need a magic solution. You need to keep taking the next right step.

Our staff is reading through a book together, and one chapter challenged us with this question: “What motivates you to do what you do?” Asked another way, “What is the ‘why’ behind your work?”

I could answer those questions without thinking deeply because it has been my motivation for over 33 years.

Ultimately, my work is about serving the Lord, but I am inspired to do that whenever I see lives changed by the gospel.

Seeing marriages rebuilt, drug addicts come clean, and people change their lives for the better inspires me. Sometimes people change because of the power of forgiveness, and other times because they experience God’s love. People adjust their mindset, their attitudes, and their actions because of their faith. I have seen people get married, start a new career, and get rid of bad habits. The gospel has led people to produce good fruit and make a difference for eternity.

I am motivated by every story of life change, no matter how big or small the adjustment.

One question worth asking about your service in the Lord is, “Why do you do it?”

If you don’t have a good answer, you will give up when your feelings change or the going gets hard. People who endure in their faith have a clear “why” behind their actions.

My son and I were talking about his job. He explained his philosophy, and I thought it was worth sharing.

Whenever he starts a new account, he develops a list of items to complete. He looks it over and starts with the hardest thing first. Then he works toward the progressively easier tasks and leaves the simplest project for last.

He further explained that most people he works with start with the easiest tasks and work toward the most difficult.

Finally, he clarified why his approach always works better. At the beginning of a project, you are full of ideas and energy. So you are in the best place to tackle the hardest thing. Also, if you run into issues you cannot solve, you have time to finish them. Once you complete the first item, then everything else is downhill.

People who start with easy projects use their best days on items that do not need their full attention. Then they dread each day as the to-do list gets progressively more challenging. Finally, they rush at the last minute to finish the last assignment because they keep running into issues.

His explanation has me looking at my to-do list and rethinking my approach. Perhaps you should do the same with yours.

Ideas for sermons and blogs come to me wherever I go. I hear a conversation and try to write it down. A line or phrase can inspire me. Watching movies or listening to podcasts can fill my head with multiple concepts for sermons, series, illustrations, and topics to address. My eyes are open to every little thing around me, and I can see material to use everywhere.

I listen to several podcasts from comedians. I have noticed how they can find humor in almost any situation. Conversations and experiences are fodder for the next bit. They can see humor in places I never imagined.

When you open your eyes to a particular area of interest, it is amazing how you begin to see it everywhere.

I think that is true when it comes to the things of God.

If you begin looking for how God is working in your life, you will see his sovereign hands everywhere. If you begin looking for ways to use your gifts for God, you will notice opportunities everywhere. If you look for ways to bless others in the name of Jesus, there will be a multitude of chances coming your way.

The issue for most of us is not about “If God would only give me an opportunity.” Instead, it is about opening our eyes to all the opportunities around us.

One of the hardest realities about sin is this: God can forgive our sin without removing all its consequences.

When we confess our sin and turn to God, His grace is real. Our guilt can be forgiven. Our relationship with Him can be restored. But forgiveness does not always mean that the earthly consequences of our choices disappear.

An alcoholic can get sober, surrender his life to Christ, and rebuild his life, and still live with irreparable liver damage.

An adulterer can confess his sin, receive forgiveness, and even save his marriage, and still lose his job in Christian ministry.

A thief can repent, return what he stole, and make things right, and still have to go to jail.

Actions have consequences. We often reap what we have sown.

I sometimes illustrate it this way: Imagine I am driving toward a cliff at full speed. I can pray all day for God to keep me from going over the edge, but eventually I have to do something. I need to take my foot off the gas, hit the brakes, and turn the wheel. And even if I do, I may have waited too long to stop safely.

I have seen people come to church when the consequences of their choices finally become impossible to ignore. They want God to make everything go away. They want Him to restore what was lost, repair every relationship, erase every painful consequence, and make everything as though it never happened.

Sometimes God does that. But sometimes He doesn’t.

And that does not mean God has stopped loving you. Grace has not failed. Forgiveness is still possible.

And even when God does not remove the consequences of our past, He can redeem our future.

The consequences of sin may remain, but they do not have to become the end of your story. God can meet you in the wreckage. He can teach you, transform you, restore what can be restored, and use even the painful parts of your story for His purposes.

So don’t wait until you are standing at the edge of the cliff to turn around.

You may not be able to undo everything you have done, but by the grace of God, you can choose what you do next.

My prompt for ChatGPT was, “Give me a long list of the ways I can encourage someone right now.”

In response, it gave me 130 different ways I can encourage someone. It broke them into the categories of “Things you can say” and ” Noticing something specific.” Followed by “Sometimes encouragement means simply being present,” with 20 more ideas. In total, it listed seven subcategories. The ideas were all simple.

Say, “Don’t give up.”
Tell them how they have positively affected your life.
Sit with them.
Listen without trying to fix everything.
Let them cry.
Bring them dinner.
Buy them coffee.
Bring them their favorite snack.
Help them imagine a better day ahead.
Remind them that they haven’t reached the end of their story.
Pray with them.
Pray for them privately.
Tell them, “I see you.” Or “I hear you.” Or “I believe you.”

There are at least 130 ways you can brighten someone’s week. Sometimes AI can be a catalyst for helping us change the world for the sake of Jesus.

There is a big difference between saying, “I have got to serve at church this week,” and saying, “I get to serve at church this week.”

The first sounds like an obligation. The second sounds like a privilege.

Jesus didn’t come to be served, but “to serve” (Mark 10:45). When we serve others, we aren’t simply filling a spot on a schedule or helping the church run smoothly. We are following the example of Jesus.

Think about the difference that one little word can make when you walk through the church doors on Sunday morning.

“I get to serve the Lord today.”