Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

As I began reading and studying today’s Scripture passage, two words kept rising to the top—leadership and expectations. Having served as a pastor in some capacity for nearly 50 years, I can honestly say I rarely felt like I met everyone’s expectations—and you know what? I was right!

Let’s be honest—most of us have “pastor expectations.” Maybe you imagine the charismatic visionary who could double as a TED Talk speaker. Or perhaps you’re drawn to the aesthetically-driven leader whose Instagram feed belongs in a design magazine. We’ve all caught ourselves thinking, “If only our church had that kind of leader!”

Take a look at the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 3:

“For my part, brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human?” (1 Corinthians 3:1–4, ESV)

This mindset is exactly what Paul calls “acting like mere humans.” When the Corinthians were fanboying over different church leaders—“I follow Paul!” “I follow Apollos!”—Paul basically told them, “You’re acting like spiritual toddlers.”

In the rest of chapter 3 and into chapter 4, Paul offers three powerful images that challenge our leadership expectations:

Pastors are like farm workers.

Important? Absolutely. Celebrities? Hardly. Farm workers plant and water, but they can’t make anything grow. Only God can do that. The next time you’re tempted to build your faith around Pastor So-and-So’s personality, remember: they’re just planting and watering. God is the one who makes things grow.

Pastors are like builders.

A builder’s job isn’t to get creative with the foundation—it’s to build carefully on the one already laid: Jesus Christ. When Judgment Day comes—the ultimate building inspection—God won’t care how innovative our pastor was. He’ll check if they built with materials that last: truth, love, and faithfulness. This is wise advice not only for pastors but for all of us as we build our relationships and families.

Pastors are like stewards.

In Paul’s day, stewards managed someone else’s property. Our pastors and elders don’t own the church. They are temporary managers for the true Owner—Jesus.

Ultimately, they answer to Him, not to the latest church growth trends or popular opinions.

Here’s our takeaway: We are farmers, builders, and stewards, too. Whether it’s your education, relationships, or spiritual life, what foundation are you building on? Are you constructing your life around personalities and temporary values—or on Jesus?

Paul gives a clear mini-job description for pastors in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2:

“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”

The most liberating truth is that neither your faith nor your church depends on having the “perfect” leader. When we stop expecting pastors to be celebrities and allow them to be simple servants of Christ, Jesus becomes the main attraction. And honestly, He’s the only influencer worth following anyway.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

Use the S.O.A.P. Method to study God’s Word.

• SCRIPTURE: What stands out to you in today’s passage?
• OBSERVATION: What is this text saying? What is the context? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? Are there any commands, instructions, or promises? 
• APPLICATION: How can you apply this verse to your life? What does this mean today? What is God saying to you? 
• PRAYER: Respond to the passage in prayer. Ask God to help you apply this truth to your life and spend some time listening to what He may be telling you.