Renewing the Inner Life

As pastors, we have the opportunity to be autobiographical in our preaching and in our leadership. We even have the option of showing our own brokenness and need of the Gospel.

But how much vulnerability is too much? Where is the balance between healthy vulnerability and stoic professionalism?

Andrew Root devotes a whole chapter of his book, The Pastor in a Secular Age, to this question. Here are some insights that can help guide us on our renewal journeys.

Four Ways to Share Ourselves in Ministry

The Journey Of Renewal Begins With Us

Renewal requires change, and change starts with the leader. If we approach renewal with the idea that we can simply implement some good leadership principles and renew the church, we will miss the boat. Renewal will require a spiritual awakening in us. As the Spirit begins to open our eyes to the hidden things in us that need renewal, we need to find trustworthy people to guide us in the process

Authenticity is Essential

One of the most important tools for reaching the next generation with the Gospel is understanding authenticity. Younger generations will never see their desperate need for a Savior if they do not see leaders who also desperately need a Savior. We must lay our reputation and our desire to be seen in a positive light at the foot of the cross. Pastors and leaders need to be people who know how to let God’s power shine through their weakness.

Vulnerability Does Not Equal Weakness

Learning to lead from a place of vulnerability does not mean we lead from a place of insecurity. The Bible asks us to cultivate meekness, not weakness. We can achieve that by grounding our confidence in God’s strength rather than our own. When we preach the Gospel to ourselves daily, we stay in touch with both our own fallibility and God’s power.

Modeling Healthy Dependence on God

I experienced a profound spiritual awakening in my adolescent years as I listened to my father ask my brothers and me for our forgiveness for his failures as a father. In that moment, I saw that he had real and meaningful relationship with God. I desperately wanted that kind of relationship with God too — the kind of relationship that could be painfully honest and fully loved at the same time. When people see our wrestling with God, they will see a friendship with the living God that we all long for and are made for!

I hope you will join us for more great insights from Andrew Root as we gather in August for our annual Church Now Café. I hope to see you there!