More Jack Miller

I stumbled across a comment thread this morning that disappointed me. Then I remembered last night when I got tired and disappointed myself. That brought to mind again the concept of continual, joyful repentance – a theme (along with humility) that runs all through Jack Miller’s book The Heart of a Servant Leader.

Miller echoes something that Ken said about pride in a recent comment. Miller writes, “Do pray for me to grow in humility. I think most human problems stem from pride as do mine.”

Some other highlights I’ve cherry picked the past couple of days:

When someone told him, “I’m sorry, but your preaching doesn’t edify me.” Every preacher has been here, but Miller responded better than I have in the past:

I remember how crushed I felt…But God made this comment into a great blessing. I asked the brother to pray for me. He later came and said, “Your preaching has really helped me.” God used his words to shock me awake, to cause me to simplify my messages, to recruit people to pray for me, and to make my preaching more Christ-centered.

To a young man anxious to get to the mission field, on behalf of elders who want him to wait another six months before leaving. Miller blends grace and truth very well in a moving letter.

It does not seem to me that you have the calling of an elder – or a team leader. Perhaps in the future, but not now. You asked me not to hesitate even if it meant rebuking you. Well, I don’t see this as a rebuke, but a leader must have more evidence of a broken will and the humility that has gone deep into the soul with it. I don’t mean you have no humility, but there is a need for growth in this matter in your life…

I do believe you will find a very special blessing coming on you and the team as you submit to what may appear to be different from your own hopes for going right away. How you submit now will have much to do with the unleashing of the Spirit in your lives together later on.

I’m loving this book. Got to run to a wedding – more quotes sure to come later.