Pastor, “You don’t understand my context” is an excuse. Here’s what Caleb saw.

Picture two pastors in the same city. Same culture, same economy, same headwinds. One is constantly explaining why it’s harder here. The other says, “I’m going to multiply to my best ability wherever God puts me,” and his church grows and thrives while the church down the street stays small and complaining. Same context. Different spirit. Different future. The first pastor is telling himself the number one excuse in pastoring: “You don’t understand my context.” Let’s deal with it.

The old story: “You don’t understand my context”

You’ve heard it. You’ve probably said it. “It’s urban, it’s different.” “It’s rural, it’s different.” “It’s the godless Northeast.” “My people, my city, my mayor, my denominational leader, my board.” My context determines everything.

I’m so glad Paul didn’t have that mindset on his missionary journeys. “You just don’t understand Ephesus. You just don’t understand Corinth. Nobody believes in Jesus here.” Meanwhile, many of us complain in a culture still swimming in Christian ethics.

What it costs

Every context is hard. Rural is hard. Urban is hard. Suburban is hard. North, South, East, and West are hard. Ministry is hard. Everybody signs up for hard. A missionary doesn’t quit because it’s hard.

So when context becomes the excuse, it’s really showing that you’re insecure about how you’re handling your hard. It becomes excuses instead of exceptional. And it’s often comparison in disguise. In the parable of the talents, it’s easy to look at how much is in the other guy’s hand and decide there’s no way you can do what he does. Going from 200 to 400 may genuinely be harder than going from 2,000 to 10,000. But too often, “You don’t understand my context” really means, “I’d rather bury this than put my hand to the plow.”

Breaking the old story

When I started a campus ministry at the University of Minnesota, everybody said it was impossible. “We’ve never had a group over 30 people here.” I walked into a room with about seven pastors and a group of about 30 people, and they told me, “It’s hard. It’s different here. We have to use different methods here.”

I hated it. So I grabbed a freshman and said, “We’re going to start a small group in your dorm.” He said, “What’s that?” I said, “Don’t worry about it. We’re starting this week.” That one small group turned into hundreds and hundreds of people all over campus finding and serving Jesus Christ. We saw growth, miracles, and people saved every week. I’m so glad I didn’t listen to the people who said it could never be done.

The gospel always works. God’s word does not return void. Context is unique, but it doesn’t negate the fundamentals.

Remember the spies in Numbers 13. They all saw the same land, the same giants, the same fruit. Ten came back saying, “We looked like grasshoppers.” Caleb came back with a good report. Same situation. But Caleb had a different spirit.

Here’s the mechanism. If all my faith is in me, I’m going to get depressed. If all my faith is in God, I’ll do my best every day and see success. You shift from “my context” to “my God said, my God promised, my God can, my God will.” His promises are yes and amen.

The new belief: My context may limit my options, but it doesn’t determine my capacity

There’s realism in context. It sets up the chessboard a certain way. But it does not determine my personal capacity. I can grow despite the headwinds. I can choose a different spirit. God has called me to multiply, not compare.

What to do this week

1. Write down your context excuse. The exact sentence you use. Then ask: what would Caleb see in this same land?
2. Ask what’s already in your hand. Put the blinders on. Stop measuring the other guy’s talents. What has God given you, and how can you multiply it this month?
3. Thank God for your field. Every day this week, thank Him that you get to do this work. Love the hard, love the field, love the work.

I’ve talked to so many pastors who live under this lid instead of asking, “God, what could You do?” Same city. Same giants. Choose the different spirit, and watch what God does with what’s in your hand.