God is not a good buddy. God is the Awesome, Supreme, Father of our lives and in Sovereign control of the events for our lives. The more I learn to respect Him and fear Him and trust Him the deeper I will become. Now, I miss that kind of emphasis on great theology, the great doctrines, that kind of teaching that makes me think. Now don’t miss this: not boring. If I’m bored, I’m not getting it and it is usually the preacher’s fault. But if I’m on the edge of my seat, realizing, “Good night, that man’s talking my language, he understands my world, and this book is about me and about my life? Oh man!” Who doesn’t want to be around that? Who wouldn’t want to listen to something like that?

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Preaching: If you were talking to young preachers just starting out, what would you really encourage them to do?

Swindoll: I would encourage them to get solid theological training. First of all, I would make sure there is really a call to the ministry. I would want to talk about how does that person know he is really called to do this. Then I would say if you’re called, don’t be in a hurry. Take your time so that you get your feet on the ground and you get your heart right, and you gather sufficient theological training to hold your ground, because you are going to need that.

I would also say to that person, don’t lose your passion for the lost. Remember that most in the world have never heard and will never hear. So before you get all caught up in just ministering to the saints, remember there is a vast number of people who have never met Christ. So stay keen on the gospel. Stay clear on making Christ known. I’d probably say to address things of your character that you know are out of line because they will haunt you in ministry and they will bring you down. If you have got things that aren’t in place — if there are addictions, if there are unconfessed areas of your life, if there is a lack of forgiveness and a dragging of grudges and ill feelings toward others — that is going to take away a lot of what you could otherwise be giving.

Practically speaking, I would say know who you are, accept who you are, be who you are. Very simple outline I pass along to younger pastors all the time. The first has to do with really understanding how you’ve been put together and knowing that you’re unique. God has called you to say it. You’re the only one who has your voice, you’re the only one that has your background, you’re the only one that has those experiences. That’s knowing who you are. And then second, don’t try to be somebody else. Accept who you are. Where there are weaknesses, try to bring about strength, but don’t hide the fact that this is a weakness to you. Be vulnerable, be open, authentic. Today’s generation longs for that. Show me a person who really is authentic, and I will show you a person who won’t have trouble getting a following. People love authenticity. That means you admit it when you’re wrong, you confess it when you’re weak, you ask for help when you need it, you don’t try to do it all yourself, you delegate, etc.

And then third, be who you are. As that unfolds, as you unpack those things, let the real truth happen. I spent ten years of my ministry being a little bit of every one of the faculty members I had studied under until my wife said to me one day, “Honey, just be who you are.” She said, “You are a lot more fun at home than you are in the pulpit. You are a lot easier to live with than you seem or you are a driving machine. And I know you’re doing it with the right intention, but it doesn’t help to drive people. You need to learn how to be more real.” She was talking about being who I am. I remember giving myself permission to do that and it was a process that was at first frightening, and uneasy, because I didn’t know too many who were. Ray Stedman had been, but I thought, “Well, I guess you get like that when you are sixty.” But I find you can be like that when you are forty. It takes guts. It takes a willingness to be unique. Don’t take all you can use from the way other people are doing it. Think a little, on occasion think originally. Who cares if this is the way other big names among preachers are. It’s easier to think: they’re successful so I’m going to start doing that. That is the quickest road to discouragement of anything I know about. Plus you’re not being who you are. Principles work, but trying to emulate others — that doesn’t work.