Higher Standards

OK so here is something I've been battling with for a little while! This is the main reason why I have a lot of trouble when people call me Pastor Marty. There are other reasons why I have trouble with titles like: we don't usually use them at Bikers Church, people tend to see you as the position and not the person, there seems to be a change of attitude when you're around, when you use a title MY attitude can change when it SHOULDN'T, I don't feel like I'm ready and sometimes I don't feel like I deserve the title but most of all, and this is the kicker, I sometimes wonder if I'm being judged with a higher standard! Can I as a person make the same mistakes and be forgiven more easily than I as an assistant pastor. Since I am still an assistant pastor do people forgive me more easily than someone who is a Pastor like Rob, Jason or Barry? In other words if I made a mistake would I be judged more or less harshly if I were an assistant pastor and would I be judged more or less harshly if were a Senior or Lead Pastor.

Let me give you an example, if I make a promise to someone as Marty and I don't follow up for whatever reason (forgot, got caught up in something else etc...) would people judge me more or less than if I made the same promise as assistant pastor or Pastor Marty. Take the same example and use Rob, Pastor Jason or Pastor B. would they be judged more harshly by their members than if they made the same mistake in a non-christian setting? Now please get this straight I'm not talking leading people astray from biblical teachings because the Bible is very clear when it comes to Pastors or elders leading people astray, I'm just talking day to day "people, regular Joe" stuff. Stuff like disciplining my kids, bumping my toes on the corner of the bed and yelling out certain words in anger or pain, cutting someone off on Highway 417 or even worst getting cut off on the 417 and the non-christian thoughts that could come out of my mouth! How harshly would I be judged if someone from BC heard me, compared to someone from work. Is it better to be human or does a title prevent you from doing that?

So I ask you, what standards do you set for your Pastor, assistant pastor or leadership team? Do you set the same standards for yourself? Are we all truly created equal or are some judged by a higher standard than others because of position and title?

Just wondering

Talk at you later

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