“THE LIKE BUTTON, HERITAGE, AND THE LORD OF HOSTS”

A Devotional for a New Pastor Trying to Be Liked Without Losing His Soul

So the other day someone came up to me after service and said,
“Pastor, I really like your sermons.”

And suddenly — without prayer or fasting or even a moment of discernment —
I found myself thinking:

“Wow. This person is brilliant. Spiritually mature. Discernment level: Apostle Paul.”

Just like that, they instantly became one of my new favorite humans.
Why? Because apparently, as science confirms, I am shallow.

But also because — and this part is actually backed by research —
the #1 factor in whether you like someone…is whether they seem to like you.

Which explains why, in 3 seconds, I went from
“Nice to meet you,”
to
“Would you like to be an elder?”

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THE REALIZATION: PASTORING WHILE WANTING TO BE LIKED (BUT NOT TOO MUCH)

Here I am, the new pastor at Heritage, trying to:

love people

lead people

shepherd people

preach truth

obey Jesus

and also maybe—maybe—not have everyone hate my guts

It’s a delicate spiritual tightrope.

Because I want you to like me (I’m human),
but I need God to love me (I’m saved).
And balancing those two can feel like juggling chainsaws during a worship set.

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THE GREAT SOCIAL SCIENCE REVELATION (THANK YOU, SCIENCE)

Study after study shows:
You don’t like people because of skin color, hair, height, politics, degree, diet, drink choice, or favorite football team.

Nope.
You like people who like you.

This explains:

Why your favorite barista seems like an angelic being

Why compliments feel like revival

And why pastors everywhere think well of the people who say, “Great sermon, Pastor.”

Apparently the human heart is deeply theological and deeply basic at the same time.

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THE BIBLE WEIGHS IN (OF COURSE)

Jesus said:
“Love one another.”
He did NOT say:
“Only love the people who applaud after the sermon.”

Paul said:
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Which is spiritually comforting but does not address the experience of preaching while someone in the back row looks like they’re silently judging your tie.

The point is:
People-approval is nice. God-approval is necessary.

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People Follow People Who Genuinely Care

Turns out the secret isn’t being impressive.
It’s being interested.
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room — just the most present.

Being Liked Is Fun, But Being Loved by God Is Freedom

If I chase your approval, I’ll be exhausted.
If I chase God’s approval, I’ll be empowered.
I want Heritage to like me — but only God gets to define me.

If I Like You First, You’ll Probably Like Me Back

Scientifically, this is called the “reciprocity of liking.”
Biblically, this is called “being a decent human.”
Pastorally, this is called “I really do like you.”
If you want people to like you, stop auditioning and start appreciating.

God Didn’t Call Me Here to Be Popular — Just Faithful

Popularity fades, but faithfulness multiplies.
Also, God liked me long before I preached a single sermon here.
If God likes me, I can survive even if Brenda doesn’t appreciate my preaching style.

THE GREAT RELIEF

So yes — if you tell me you like my sermons, I might immediately think you are a deeply wise and gifted individual.
I’m working on it.

But here’s my true heart:
I want Heritage to know I’m here because God sent me.
I’m leading because He called me.
I’m loving because He first loved me.

If you end up liking me?
Awesome — welcome to the inner circle.

If not?
I’ll still be here — showing up, loving you, serving you, preaching the Gospel, and growing with you.
Because the “Like” that defines me isn’t on social media or a comment card.
It comes from Heaven.

And that one… I already have.

Rev. John Roberts