Help. Top 6!

A question asked of me the other day was where, as a Pastor, do I go when I need help, am struggling with faith questions, or simply don't know.  Great question.  Luckily, although I am a pastor and do feel uniquely called and equipped to serve God in this leadership role, I am still human, and much like the rest of us.  There are a lot of times when I don't know, don't have the answers, or simply need to get a second opinion.  We have to go somewhere!

The only place I try not to go, but often consider going, is inside and away.  I think that one of the worst, yet fairly popular notions we buy into today is that we all our own heroes, that we all have the stuff it takes to be the shining star or our own epic success stories.  We call it the rugged individual, the self-made man/woman, or the diamond in the rough.  But the truth is that we were called to succeed in community, in togetherness.  Otherwise, Jesus wouldn't have called 12, and then 72, and then millions to do his work.  Otherwise, man and woman, family, and churches would not have been part of the plan.  From the very beginning, we would've been out on our own, making the world a better place, solving all our and only our problems.  But this simply isn't the case.

So, where do I go?  To whom do I go?

1. Prayer.  God needs to hear that I'm lost.  God needs to see me come before him in my moments of humility, despair, and confusion.
   
2. Scripture.  It's the foundation I stand upon.  But I rarely go searching by index or google search for scripture to speak specifically to my needs.  I feel like that's forcing what I want to hear--like looking for something to satisfy what I already think I need to hear.  But I don't blindly pick a spot either.  I'm always on a reading schedule, so I usually just read the next chapter or section and read until I feel I need to stop.  God has a mysterious and powerful way of speaking to us through his word, regardless of what the words say exactly.
   
3. Wife.  Sarah is my sounding board for most of life and faith.  She hears it, thinks about it, throws it back at me.  Often she'll respond in just the right ways, as God leads her to.  Other times, she'll also has no clue.
   
4. Fellow Pastors.  I have a covenant group with some other pastors.  We often have wisdom for each other, even if that wisdom simply flows out of our re-hashing the question or situation.  They're essential to be connected to.
   
5. Friends.  YOU might be the one who God chooses to speak through.  We never know.  I trust that God is fully capable of working good through anyone.
   
6. Books.  A quote I picked up on once was that "If you want a new idea, read an old book."  It's very true.  All wisdom started first with God.  From there, we pick it up, build upon it, move on from it, and often need to revisit it.  The point when we've forgotten is the point when we need to go back and remember.  

LASTLY, there are some answers that aren't supposed to be known.  There are some questions that no answer will suffice.  Mystery is sacred.  Not knowing keeps us searching, keeps us from building up our own pride, keeps us from isolating ourselves (Isaiah 6:9-11).  There are those moments when, even as a spiritual leader, I own that I don't know.  Then I draw near to God.  Those are very spiritual moments.

Thanks for asking!  

J <><