Sweet Spot

A pastor recently mentioned working in his "sweet spot."  This got me thinking again about this concept in American business (and therefore the American church, but, as usual, about 5 years later).  I agree that I don't want my auto mechanic doing brain surgery because he feels that's his "sweet spot."  There is something to be said for functioning in areas where you have training and experience.  What is usually meant in these conversations among pastors and church staff is that they are working in ministry areas they enjoy.  The measure is not "Am I working in ministry for which I am equipped?"  The measure is, "Do I enjoy working in this aspect of ministry and can I avoid the aspects of ministry that I don't like?"  If you don't believe me, ask yourself about the rise of "teaching pastors".  I know I'm painting with a broad brush, but has anyone else noticed that most of these teaching pastors are guys who have reached middle age and don't want to deal with the messiness of shepherding a congregation.  They want to preach and run.  O.K., I'm exaggerating a bit, but it strikes me as suspicious that a "sweet spot" is often used as the rationale for not doing things that we don't enjoy doing.

(By the way, I just double-checked using my WordSearch 9 software and there is not a single verse using the phrase "sweet spot."  I found verses with the word sweet and some with the word spot, but none of them had to do with using gifts, abilities or talents in ministry.  I should probably provide this caveat:  I only searched the ESV.  I did not search The Message or New Living Translation, so maybe I narrowed my focus too much.  I know the word Trinity doesn't appear in the concordance either, but I can't even find the concept of "sweet spot" in Scripture while I can point to passages that indicate the existence of the Trinity.)

Consider, if you will, the ministry of some of the people whose lives are mentioned in Scripture.  Noah obviously worked in his sweet spot.  He spent over 100 years building a boat and preaching.  I'm sure that brought him great joy.  It might have been a downer that he only had 8 converts, but at least he was working in his sweet spot.  Then there's Isaiah who obviously had a naked fetish since God asked him to walk around naked for three years.  I'm sure he was glad God called him into his sweet spot.  Or Elijah's call to confront Ahab and Jezebel.  Who wouldn't feel like that was the best use of their gifts and abilities?  And what about Jonah?  If God only calls us to our sweet spot, then what was Jonah's problem anyway?  Why wouldn't he want to go preach to those living in Nineveh? Just because they might repent and avoid the judgement Jonah wanted God to execute on them.  Or how about Hosea who God told to marry a wife who God knew would be sexually unfaithful to Hosea and would bear children Hosea wasn't even sure were his?  That's some sweet spot.

Maybe sweet spot is a New Testament concept.  The apostle Paul certainly lists the results of being in his sweet spot in his second letter to the Corinthians.  Being in his sweet spot resulted in "far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death."  Paul goes on to list his other "sweet spot" experiences.  ^"Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches." (2 Corinthians 11:23-28)  So much for Paul taking a position as a teaching pastor.

And then there's Jesus.  You remember his sweet spot prayer in the garden of Gethsemane.  "Father, this ministry has been great fun.  I'm really looking forward to what comes next.   In fact, it's so much fun, I'm thinking maybe I don't deserve to participate, so if you want to do this some other way, I'm open to that."

Maybe our problem is in our definition of sweet spot.  I do think there is a biblical concept of sweet spot, but it is that spot where God's will and my obedience come together.  Noah builds a boat. Isaiah walks naked. Elijah says what needs to be said to Ahab. Jonah goes to Nineveh, however reluctantly.  Hosea marries Gomer.  Paul preaches the good news.  Jesus goes to the cross.  Sometimes our sweet spot may be the place where our strengths, passions and enjoyment come together.  But not always.  In fact, looking at Scripture, maybe not often.