How Do You Know If You Can Trust Your Pastor? 🤔
For starters, remember that all pastors are sinners 😔, but God still wants there to be a church and works through imperfect people. 🙌
Unfortunately, there have been pastors that have abused that trust. 💔
Here are concrete ways to evaluate trust in your pastor: 👇
1️⃣ First, check if they align with Scripture 📖 and foundational teachings.
Start by attending the church ⛪ and listening to their sermons — do they preach what the Bible teaches? 📜✨
For Lutherans, the Small Catechism provides a clear baseline — if your pastor contradicts these teachings, that's a red flag 🚩.
Your pastor's job isn't to define truth, but to convey God's truth. 💡✝️
2️⃣ Second, evaluate how they handle confession and forgiveness. 🛐
Ask questions like: "If I confess a sin to you, will God forgive it?" 🙏✨ and "Will you keep my confession confidential?" 🤐
A trustworthy pastor understands that forgiven sins belong to Jesus and shouldn't be disclosed. ✝️💖
You don't have to share everything at once; trust can develop over time. ⌛💬
3️⃣ Third, observe their approach to helping people overcome sin. ⚖️
Good pastors will:
🤝 Focus on giving sins to Jesus
🛡️ Help protect both you and others from harm
👫 Walk alongside you in fighting against sin 💪
✝️ Emphasize forgiveness through Christ's death, not through your promises to do better 🤝💖
Remember that the goal isn't to find a flawless pastor (they don't exist 😅), but one who carries out God's work of forgiveness and spiritual care while acknowledging their own sinfulness. 🙏💕
The ultimate purpose of pastors and the church is to forgive your sins ✝️, to proclaim the gospel to you 📣✨, and to speak His Word to you. 📖🗣️
The best indicator is whether they point you to Christ ✝️ rather than themselves. 🌟
Contributor Amelia is a college student and HT’s assistant webmaster.
Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.
#higherthings #lcms #lutheran #trustingpastors
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