Should you listen to only your pastor?
The other side of followership
It’s another day again to remind ourselves that feeding from multiple sound streams is a healthy way to grow. Some preachers are narrow-minded. Some are more liberal. Others are a mixture of both.
Holistic growth instructs you to feed from all available streams.
The question now is: How do we determine who is dishing out what is healthy for our consumption?
How do you know if a physical meal is healthy?
First, you must not be a baby. A baby born today cannot tell whether what he or she is fed is healthy or not. A baby believer also cannot tell if he’s feeding healthy or not. So, in the beginning stages of their growth, they must rely on the meals from their tutors and those in their lives.
As they keep growing, they will now come to that point where they can finally see clearly and know what is healthy or not. If they never come to this point through teaching, they will come to this point when they begin to ask pertinent questions about life and their experiences.
At this stage, it is self-sabotage to estrange themselves from other kinds of food. They can now explore more tutors and spiritual heads. Learning, sieving, chewing, spewing, and regurgitating as they ride the storms of growth.
WHY MUST WE LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BODY OF CHRIST ASIDE FROM YOUR PASTOR?
Short answer: The Bible infers we do.
Long answer: The life of the believer is often referred to as a battle.
In fact, the believer’s battle or war today is not against physical enemies or people. We are to fight the fight of faith. This entails standing firm in God’s word, refuting the work of the enemy as we keep learning more and more about God.
The greatest battle for us today takes place in our hearts and not in the economy or our families.
To holistically engage this battle and win, we must make use of the WISDOM and giftings the Lord has placed in the body. If you understand this, then let’s read Proverbs 24:6:
“Don’t go to war without wise guidance, victory depends on having MANY advisers.”
KJV reads: “In the multitude of COUNCILLORS there is safety.
The word “safety” also means “deliverance, victory, etc.”
CAN ONE MAN GIVE US ALL WE NEED TO WIN LIFE’S BATTLES?
Yes, only if that man is Jesus.
And, what did Jesus do?
Ephesians 4:8,
“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and GAVE GIFTS UNTO MEN.”
Jesus distributed wisdom throughout his body, the church.
Don’t shortchange yourself. Even your pastor does not listen to only one preacher. He has read several books. He consults several thought leaders to feed you daily. Why do you think you’re wrong if you do the same?
By all means, explore the body of Christ. This doesn’t mean you won’t be submitted to your local church pastor. And in cases where the knowledge you found from scriptures clashes with that of your leader and you two cannot reconcile with scriptures, shelve it and keep feeding from him.
Differences in knowledge and understanding should not cause a rift between a leader and his subjects, especially if they’re not foundational or core.