Anonymous

I had a call today from Bro. Anonymous. Have you heard from him/her lately? From time to time I hear from him/her. The voices change and the church where they are from changes but I have learned that when they call, it can't be good. Today's was no exception.

Why do people write those letters and make those calls? You have received them haven't you? Do they really think you will take any action based on a stranger's or unknown individual's letter or call? Is it simply to harrass? Do they just need to vent? Are they trouble makers or just individuals who don't know what to do with their frustration, anger, or anxiety?

Ministry presents many challenges. They usually come in the form of people. While pastoring some years ago, I received an unsigned letter expressing my faults and failures. I always heard you should throw those letters away without reading them, but my curiosity was too great so to my regret, I read the letter and was quite agitated (have you felt that before?) as a result.

The temptation for us in ministry is to take responsibility for those around us and feel the weight for what goes on in the church. The truth, however, is that much that occurs has little to do with us, and more to do with what is happening in the lives of those around us. When people in the church experience frustration and anger, it may be directed at the pastor or leadership of the church (and at times it might even be appropriate) but much of the time it is more about them than about you as the leader.

The challenge for us is to separate our feelings and reactions to people from the issues that are on the surface, responding rationally rather than emotionally. Defensiveness and agression seldom achieve the desired results. The words of Proverbs ring true, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." God allows "Anonymous" to come along from time to time to help us become more like our Lord who was reviled but did not respond in kind. Anonymous will have to face the Judge some day, but in the meantime, don't allow any root of bitterness to creep into you heart. It is never worth it!