READING: Job 14-16, Acts 20:17-38
With every church I led as pastor, and with every church I served as interim pastor for any significant time, I wept when the day came to leave the church. I always had a clear sense of God’s calling to depart, but even trusting His guidance didn’t lessen the pain I felt when I said good-bye.
Paul and the Ephesian elders wept, too, when Paul departed them. He had given himself sacrificially to them for years. They had shared life together. Now, it was likely they would never see Paul again. You can just sense their pain as they knelt together, prayed, hugged, and said their good-byes.
It was their love and gratitude for each other that led to their tears. When I remember this truth, I’m grateful I’ve wept with my departure from churches. I would much rather have loved and been loved in such a dramatic way that none of us could help but cry when we were leaving. What I’ve never experienced—and never want to experience—is such a broken, painful relationship with a church that neither of us would shed a tear when departure comes. God has been incredibly gracious to me in my life.
PRAYER: “God, help me to love Your people so much that we weep when it’s time to make a change.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Let a church leader know how grateful you are for him or her today.
TOMORROW’S READING: Job 17-20, Acts 21:1-36