A man of God was ministering at a location. Excited by the information, someone shared with a church member nearby that her pastor was ministering there. The church member’s response surprised her friend: “It’s my pastor; I always hear him in church. You’re the one getting overly excited.” This is the danger of familiarity.
Friend, avoid the sin of familiarity. It is one of the greatest threats to your followership and a danger to your destiny (Isaiah 14:12-15). Familiarity does not only breed contempt. It also blocks access to grace and blessings. It takes a well-taught and Holy Spirit-led church member to continue to honour the pastor he sees or hears every time (1 Timothy 5:17).
Most times, people honour the pastor they see from afar but dishonour the one they see every time (2 Corinthians 11:5-7). If you see the way some people carry another person’s pastor on their head and trash their own pastor, you wonder what could be wrong. Some even sow fat seeds to a distant minister and give their pastor peanut (Galatians 6:6-7).
If you would go far with God and in life, you must learn to honour your pastor and not get familiar (Hebrews 13:7, 17). I think the person who stays with you, through thick and thin, prays for you, counsels you, and watches over your soul, deserves the greatest honour. Unfortunately, this is the same person people often treat with dishonour. It ought not to be so (Mark 6:4-5).
Avoid the sin of familiarity (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). Since rarity increases value, some pastors have been pushed to intentionally make themselves unavailable to people in order to avoid familiarity. Most misbehaviours from pastors are caused by members. We have long talked about pastors abusing members. We also need to talk about members abusing pastors and churches (2 Corinthians 11:7, 12:15).
Of all the five-fold offices, the pastoral office is the most abused (1 Timothy 5:17-18). An evangelist can move from places to places, ministering to different audiences. But a pastor has to stay with the same flock daily or weekly. It can be laborious and boring. It can also breed familiarity. If you have a genuine pastor giving his all to the flock, honour such pastor and never get familiar with him (John 10:11-13).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria