Mike Edmisten Follower of Jesus. Husband of Nicki. Father of Ryan & Brock. Communicator of the Word.

The Greatest Compliment a Preacher Can Receive

I had the honor of speaking at an ordination service for my friend, Aron, a few weeks ago. The following week, Aron sent me a card. That card contained some words that every preacher should long to hear.

Aron told me that he was talking to one of the singers on the worship team that night. Speaking of me, she said, "The Spirit of God was with him."

That is the single greatest compliment any preacher could ever receive. The tough part is that, to truly accept this compliment, the preacher has to be a pretty humble dude.

This woman didn't say, "Wow! Mike was such an excellent communicator! His style, his content, his delivery…it was all awesome!"

She simply said, "The Spirit of God was with him."

This is somewhat paradoxical. In order to fully receive this encouragement, I have to fully empty myself of myself.

It's not about me. It's not about my delivery. It's not about my style. It's not about "wowing" the crowd. It's not about making people think that I'm hip, cool, and relevant.

It's about preaching Jesus. It's about getting myself out of the way. It's about letting God's Spirit and God's Word speak through me.

I don't want to be a great communicator. I want to be a great conduit. Instead of communicating my message, I want to be a conduit through which God can deliver His message.

He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30, NIV)