Does God give a man a pass so that he has a right to be
intrusive or inconvenient to others just because he is a preacher of the
gospel? I have been around enough pastors to know that most pastors recognize
the importance of etiquette when communicating with others on the telephone, to
show courtesy and respect. Yet there are some in the gospel ministry who
seem to think, as evidenced by their conduct, that the accepted social rules of
courtesy and kindness apply to everyone else but them.
By what right does a pastor routinely interrupt a church
member’s work day just so he doesn’t have to write his questions down to obtain
answers at a more appropriate time, when he is not robbing from his church
member’s employer? By what right does a pastor make contact with another gospel
preacher about a matter that is not terribly important, but is sure to trouble
or distress the preacher who is being called, shortly before the man is scheduled
to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ? One would think that as a pastor
would not want to be disturbed himself before he preached, he would recognize
the impropriety of doing precisely that to a colleague.
Twice in Solomon’s Proverbs we are reminded that before
honor is humility. Granting that every human being desires to be honored, it is
well-established in Scripture that the path to being honored leads through the
field of personal humility. Therefore, as the Savior came not to be served but
to serve, so it seems to me that every opportunity the man of God has to serve
others is a God-given opportunity that should not be passed up if at all
possible. A practical way of doing this when placing a telephone call is to ask
a very simple question of the person you desire to speak to on the telephone:
“Is this a convenient time to talk for a few minutes?” “Is this an appropriate
time to speak to you about something that might be disturbing?”
Each is a very simple question. Each takes only moments to
ask. Each ascertains in a matter of seconds if it is convenient for the other
person to speak to you for a few minutes. Busy professionals who speak to other
busy professionals routinely ask this type of question when the telephone call
that is placed is unscheduled. Could it possibly be that pastors who do not ask
such a question when placing unscheduled phone calls, or who will not ask such
a question when placing unscheduled phone calls, see their church members as
subordinates? If that is the case, it is sad. Such is not the kind of servant
leadership that is portrayed in God’s Word. Could also possibly be that pastors
do not ask such questions of other gospel ministers see them as somehow less
important, and therefore less deserving of the respect that is due all men?
It is a small man who treats service personnel, such as
attendants, valet staff, and those who work in restaurants roughly and rudely.
A minister of the gospel is almost as small who presumes upon others when their
duties and occupations demand their attention. Of course, some gospel ministers
will disagree with me. However, those who do not hold to the ivory tower view
of church pastors can surely be expected to agree with me on this one.
