{"id":32249,"date":"2022-09-10T16:02:11","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/not-everyone-will-like-you-and-thats-okay\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:02:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:02:11","slug":"not-everyone-will-like-you-and-thats-okay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/not-everyone-will-like-you-and-thats-okay\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Everyone Will Like You, And That\u2019s Okay"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Josh King<\/em><\/p>\n

One of the hardest things for me to accept as a pastor is that my toughest relationships have been with other pastors. Hands down it\u2019s been a struggle. Some pastors just don\u2019t like me.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, it\u2019s the pastors of my ilk that seem to cause the most friction. Those leading churches that believe the same, act similarly, and have similar cultures are the ones I butt heads with the most.<\/p>\n

To begin with, it\u2019s probably all my fault. I\u2019m the worst. I\u2019m a deeply flawed pastor with all sorts of insecurities and shortcomings. Pray for me.<\/p>\n

But there are a few things in this vein I\u2019ve come to learn or consider as I navigate relationships with other pastors.<\/p>\n

Not Everyone Will Like You<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Not everyone is going to like me, and I\u2019m not going to like everyone. This is just a fact of life.<\/p>\n

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I have a distinct personality, and it\u2019s not everyone’s cup of tea. I know my wife thinks I\u2019m amazing (well, she sorta does) but not everyone else will.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re just jealous. At least that\u2019s what we tell ourselves. Even if that\u2019s true, it doesn\u2019t matter. It\u2019s nothing for you to worry about or even dwell on; just let it go.<\/p>\n

The key to this is knowing it\u2019s not a sin to not feel warm or mushy about someone. If the guy down the street doesn\u2019t like me as his BFF, he isn\u2019t in conflict with the sovereign will of God.<\/p>\n

My people-pleasing, self-glorifying pride wants this to be otherwise, but it\u2019s just not true.<\/p>\n

Be Nice Anyway<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You need to look in the mirror and be able to honestly say you\u2019ve tried to build bridges. You\u2019ve invited others out to lunch, you\u2019ve dismissed rumors you\u2019ve heard, and you\u2019ve spoken a word of encouragement and support from the heart.<\/p>\n

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See also  Why Pastors Must Acknowledge Their Own Needs<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I like to publicly praise other churches and their pastors. Consider reposting their big events on Facebook. Tell your social media friends the other churches are valid ones to consider, at least if you believe that.<\/p>\n

Let the Chips Fall Where They May<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I wish all pastors got along like grade school friends who live on the same street. But we don\u2019t and we won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

So be kind and carry on. Pastors put immense pressure on themselves to get along perfectly with everyone, especially with pastors of other churches. I\u2019m not speaking of Christian unity here; that\u2019s non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m speaking of being supportive of other pastors but still knowing you\u2019ll sometimes disagree with each other and that\u2019s OK. If you\u2019ve tried and are still being kind but they won\u2019t give you the time of day, then let it go.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is to love people and trust God.<\/p>\n

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Josh King<\/h2>\n

@JoWiKi<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Josh is pastor of Second Baptist Church in Conway, Arkansas, husband of Jacki, and father of three boys.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n