I know this post was written to pastors...but, stick with me...it's well worth the read and I'll try to tie it all together at the end!:)
To Be Forgotten (by Darryl)
If you’re a pastor, you may struggle with the temptation to rise from obscurity and to become a great pastor. Ecclesiastes 4 speaks of such a man. He comes from nowhere, but because of wisdom he rose to power as a king. It sounds good: “There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led.”
I can see the book and conference right now. What’s not to like? Young man, wise, obviously skilled, making a big impact.
Ecclesiastes sounds a caution: “Those who come later will not rejoice in him,” he says. They’ll have moved on to someone new and better. Yesterday’s leaders are so yesterday. “Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.”
No matter how many people we pastor, our leadership and influence is temporary. We will be forgotten. Even those who rise from obscurity to become leading leaders, so to speak, will be passed over more quickly than we think.
As I wrestled with this text this week I thought of a conference blurb I read. Most blurbs are easily forgotten, but this one stuck. It announced the conference lineup, including this description of one of the speakers (Daniel Montgomery):
Daniel, the senior pastor of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky, says his vision statement is, ”Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.”
I love that. That may be the best vision statement for a pastor I’ve read. Don’t aspire to rise from obscurity; aspire to attain obscurity, but preach the gospel in the meantime. That’s the type of pastor we need.
I couldn't help but be blown away with the humility of this post...of the statement made by Pastor Daniel."Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten." In my flesh, I want anything BUT to be forgotten when I die. I have prayed before that God would use my life to minister to my family and others in such a way that it leaves a lasting legacy. I never saw that as being a "bad thing". And, I don't believe it is. It's like so many other things in life...it's the motive of my heart. Do I want to leave a lasting legacy so that I can be remembered as a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend....so that I can be placed on a pedestal? Or is my desire to leave a lasting legacy that exalts Christ and shows His surpassing greatness, grace, power, and mercy to me, a very great sinner...a jar of clay made from dust!
Wherever our sphere of life is, whatever season we find ourselves in, whatever our days may hold...may we all preach the gospel, embrace the life God has called us to as well as the death that we will inevitably face, and pray that what is remembered about us pales in comparison to the greatness of the God we spent our life living for!
"He must increase but I must decrease." John 3:30
Comments
I've have often been reminded of Spurgeon's spiritual conversion. On a snowy Sunday he was one of the few people in church. The minister preached anyway, and this great preacher (Spurgeon) came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! I think most of us know who Spurgeon is, but the man God used to bring him to Jesus is forgotten. Do you think he is forgotten in heaven? I don't. And I'm confident he heard the words from Jesus, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
Thanks for the post Kristin. It encouraged my own heart, too!
Dad
Kristin, this post resonated deeply in my heart as I was convicted deeply that my motive many times is to not be forgotten. I want to be known by others as the "shepherd" of their souls. Yes, this is the honesty in me coming out and the truth that even as a minister of truth I can minister the truth with a heart full of pride. A heart that says "I hope they remember this encounter with me for years to come."
O, how I need to repent and remember that joy comes in the decreasing of me and the increasing of Christ! That to live is Christ (and nothing of me), and yes, to die is gain - for two reasons. (1) I get to see Christ, and (2) I get to be forgotten and God's story gets to continue on using the next generation (Lord willing) to always keep Him central and exalted above all other things!
And this makes me think of my amazing family and all the next generation, Micah, Samuel, Grace, Faith, Titus, Caleb, Hannah, Linnea. We get to aid them NOW in praying that they would exalt Christ above all other things for their generation in which they will be a part of! Love it!
Thanks sis!