Can or Should?

two words, one lie written by Jon A of The Prodigal Jon

The devil is more than willing, and very able, to tell you what a Christian should be.

A Christian should feel happy all the time.
A Christian should be rich.
A Christian should never doubt.
A Christian should know more Bible by now.
A real Christian should never have a marriage that is broken, a child that is run away or a hope that feels small and extinguished.
A real Christian should never be hurt or lonely or sad or angry or stressed or depressed or confused.

Painting a picture of what a Christian should be is perhaps the devil's favorite activity.

But, he will never be able to tell you what a Christian can be.

He cannot plumb the depths of God's love within us.
He cannot fathom the might of God's power within us.
He cannot comprehend the relentless pursuit of God's grace within us.

He cannot tell you what a Christian can be, but he will whisper aggressively what a Christian should be.

The challenge is not to confuse those two words, can and should. Because one produces shame and condemnation, attempting to put limits on a God that is limitless. The other, shines a light on a God in which all things are possible.

Can and should.

Which one do you hear most?

Which one are you listening to?

TOP 10 WAYS TO GET YOUR PREACHER TO QUIT

Have you ever wondered why some ministers move an average of every two years? Or why are more ministers getting out of full-time ministry than there are getting in to it? I've got a few ideas that might help answer those questions. Here are 10 things you could be doing that might make your minister want to quit.

1 - Never encourage him. Just expect him to know he's doing a good job, there's no real reason to tell him. Besides it may inflate his ego.

2 - Never pray for him. Don't include him and his family in your daily prayers.

3 - Be critical. Being critical of the preacher and his family really won't hurt anyone, including the preacher's family.

4 - Never volunteer to help when he asks. Surely someone else can do it OR he can do it himself. Besides that's what we pay him for.

5 - Send him mixed messages. Tell him he needs to be spending more time in the office and less in the community and then have someone else tell him he needs to be spending more time in the community and less in the office.

6 - Make sure he knows he's not as good as the last preacher.

7 - Never expect him to take any time off. When he does make him feel guilty about it.

8 - Expect his wife and children to be perfect. You should always expect more from his family than other families, AND they'll never make mistakes.

9 - Expect him to work 80 hours a week.

10 - Make sure you see him as someone who is hired to do a job and not a co-worker in the ministry.

Originally posted on Trey Morgan's blog.