Last week, for the first time in my life, I went see to see a counselor. The time was so encouraging and enriching, and I can't wait to go again next month! But, before my next session, here are three things my counselor said that I'm still doing my best to digest!

LESSON #1 - "To live well is to grieve well because to live is to lose things."

As a pastor, I am constantly helping others with their grief. What I learned in my first session is that I have grief that I need to deal with as well. I need to do the "hard work" of grieving well understanding that I cannot deal with your grief if I have not dealt with mine!

LESSON #2 - "Evil people aren't people who do bad things. Everyone does bad things. Evil people are people who do bad things and don't think that what they are doing is bad."

I am going to do bad things. That is a given. What is going to separate me from the "evil people" is my ability to acknowledge and confess the bad things I am doing. Man, my counselor is so wise!

LESSON #3 - "You are most qualified to be a pastor when you know you are unqualified to be a pastor."

This was very refreshing to hear! I often struggle with how unqualified and undeserving I feel about being a lead pastor of a church. But to know that a posture of humility that admits you are "in over your head" is the exact posture a pastor needs to maintain is very encouraging to me. I can definitely maintain a posture of weakness as it relates to pastoring because, on most days, I feel weak!