Not Afraid To Take A Hit

I was listening to sports talk radio the other day while driving down the road and I heard a former athlete say, “The best football players are the ones who are not afraid to take a hit.” 

Later on in the week I heard the same thing said about hockey players, that the best ones are the guys not afraid to take a hit. 

I began to think about being a pastor, and the more I reflect on it the more I believe that the most effective pastors are the ones who are not afraid to take a hit. 

Pastors, you are going to take hits—period. 

You are going to have people misquote you, misrepresent you and try to get others to hate you. 

You are going to be accused of having improper motives. 

People are going to talk about the type of car you drive, where you live and even the brand of clothing you wear.

Your family is going to be talked about. 

People are going to point out the things you do and say that, in their minds, are ungodly. 

Every single detail of your life will be under a microscope. 

You can’t pray this stuff away, it comes with the calling. 

And I believe that the best pastors are the ones who will fix their eyes on Jesus, allow Him to set their soul on fire with white hot vision, and move forward one step at a time, not afraid to take a hit. 

After all, the One who we follow knows a thing or two about taking hits, and He did not give up, neither should we. 

Eternity is too long, hell is too hot and we do not have enough time to become obsessed with people who know nothing about us to try to define us. 

You will NEVER please everyone. You will ALWAYS say something that offends people. You will fall short of people’s expectations over and over and over again—and they will tell you (and other’s) about it. 

Living in the place of wanting everyone to like you is a world that does not exist. Our job is not to make as many people as happy as possible – but to do our job in such a way that we will one day hear, “well done, my good and faithful servant.” 

Every leader takes hits. I love the quote by Abraham Lincoln…

"If I tried to read, much less answer, all the criticisms made of me and all the attacks leveled against me, this office would have to be closed for all other business. I do the best I know how-the very best I can-and I mean to keep on doing this down to the very end. If the end brings me out all wrong, ten angels swearing I had been right would make no difference. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me now will not amount to anything." - Abraham Lincoln.