There’s a common pastor’s wife line about our roles at church. It goes something like this:
My role in the church is that of a Christian and a church member. I do the things here that I would at any church I attend if I wasn’t married to a pastor.
Another popular phrase is regarding priorities:
My priorities are first to God, then to supporting my husband and nurturing our children, and then to serving the church.
But there’s also something else we tend to say. And it sounds like this:
Our people aren’t volunteering enough. We need more people to step up and not make excuses for why they don’t have time to serve.
I recently realized how frequently I say the third statement, and the terrible attitude it showed in me.
How can I claim to be in the same boat as other church members, yet refer to them as “they”? How can I see a need in my church, wonder how it will be met, and never once consider that I may be the one called to do it?
I realized that my list of reasons why I couldn’t serve in a particular place were no different than those of everyone else. “I have 2 kids of my own and another on the way.” “I just don’t have the time right now; maybe in a couple years.” “I’m already serving here and here.” And my personal favorite excuse: “If I volunteer, I’ll get taken advantage of and get stuck there forever.”
But if I am a part of “them” like I claim to be, then I need to be just as willing to serve where I’m needed as “they” should be, even if it’s a little outside my comfort zone.
So “I am They”. Kind of a new realization, one I’m still working through, and the above paragraphs probably didn’t make a bit of sense, so I’m not sure exactly how to end this post.
End.
