Did your church celebrate Pastor Appreciation Day this past week? Did you feel left out or less than? Been there.
Your Lead Pastor got all the praise and a nice offering and you got a Chick-Fila gift card. Better than nothing, right? And some of you actually got nothing; no gift card, no shout out and no thank you. Been there.
I have received some nice offerings and great thank you's over the past 30 years but that's not why I got into youth ministry. Last year, I think I got $45 extra in my paycheck and that's not nothing but it's also not something.
If you let it, you can allow a day like this to deepen an already wide divide between you and your church or you and your pastor or even you and God, don't let it.
It's ok if you think it sucks that you were not appreciated, but is the praise of others why you got into youth ministry?
We are among many under appreciated roles in society; teachers, police, firemen, etc. and I think we'd agree that not all roles are equal but all roles are important.
Like these roles, you probably entered into youth ministry because 1) you felt God's call to it and 2) you wanted to make a difference.
Your role is important, but not because someone hands you a check, a plaque or a card telling you you're valuable or appreciated.
You're valuable because you're a child of the most High God and what your church refuses to appreciate about you, God will make up for it. .
Consider Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, who was lame in both feet and thought of himself no better than a dead dog (2 Samuel 9).
We all feel, from time to time, spiritually or emotionally lame and unworthy to sit at the kings table, but...
David honored Mephibosheth because of his father's relationship with him.
David told him,
"and you will always eat at my table." vs 7
God has an open seat at his table for you because of your relationship with Him. Never doubt his love or His ability to bless.
Here's the difference
Man's table: You're welcome based on your productivity and ROI
God's table: There is always room at my table, regardless of your abilities, education, productivity or how "good" you were today. We are not the same.