A Sunday Night Word About Pastors
It’s Sunday night. The sun has gone down on another Lord’s Day, and people are nestled into their homes preparing for the dawn of a new day and a new week. For a pastor, Sunday nights are usually marked by physical and emotional exhaustion. Though he is exhausted, he is grateful for the opportunities to preach the gospel and shepherd the flock. Hopefully, he is able to think about the good things that happened, and evidences of God’s activity. He is reflecting on his sermon, and whether or not it connected with the congregation. He may be thinking more about the people he did not see at church more than the people he did see at church. He’s concerned about the family that hasn’t been in weeks. He thinks, “Did I do something to upset them?” Or he is wondering, “Have they started visiting the church down the road?”
I’ve become increasingly burdened for pastors the longer I have been a pastor. Someone recently said to me, “Pastor, I don’t think there is any amount of money in the world that would compel me to do what you do.” I told them that I agreed! I certainly would not be a pastor unless I felt the strong sense of calling that God has on my life. That calling is what drives me, and it is what sustains me. And, for all the burdens pastors carry, there is at the same time this overwhelming sense of joy that we carry, because it is a tremendous blessing and honor to be used of the Lord in leading a congregation.
You can think of a pastor on Sunday night like a loving mother who has labored in the kitchen to prepare a warm, home-cooked meal for her family. Once the meal (the sermon) has been prepared, and the table has been set, the invitation to come eat is given. As the family gathers around the table, the mother notices that some who have been invited did not show up to the meal. She worries about them, wondering if they have eaten, and if they are getting enough nutrition. She also notices that some are picking at their food, but not really eating. Perhaps they are simply not hungry, or it may be because they are filling up on junk food and have no room left for a full meal. She then hears someone murmuring under their breath, “I don’t like the way this tastes! I like the way ‘so-and-so’ cooks better than this.” But then, she looks and sees others devouring their food, carefully taking in every morsel, not leaving any to waste. They look throughly filled, and grateful to have been fed such a carefully prepared meal. She is filled with gratefulness because those who enjoyed the meal are growing and healthy, and she knows she is making a difference.
In the same way, when pastors see transformation happening in people’s lives, it gives them hope and encouragement to keep going- to get back in the “kitchen” with the Lord and labor in His name so that we can effectively “feed the sheep.” Sometimes it is hard for pastors to see those signs of transformation, therefore they quickly become discouraged. You need to pray for your pastor. Every. Single. Day. I’m looking for more ways this year to be a “pastor to pastors.” I want to encourage them to rekindle within themselves a sense of joy in ministry. As I close, let me suggest some ways you can encourage your pastor:
1. Come to church.
Our primary reason for coming to church is to worship and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you do that, and do it consistently, you will bring great encouragement to your pastor. He loves you, and wants to see you grow in love with Jesus. He cares about you, and any good pastor who loves his sheep worries when church attendance begins to dwindle in your life. And don’t just come to church, come early. Come eager. Come with a desire to honor God, and to be a blessing to others.
2. Serve your church.
Pastors love to see everyone exercising their gifts, and willingly giving of their time and talents to serve the body of Christ. Pastors worry about those few in their congregation who serve in multiple areas and get stretched thin because there isn’t enough help. Pastors are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12), and pastors must guard against the temptation to have their hand in everything. However, you can help your pastor guard against that by being ready to serve when asked.
3. Pray for your pastor.
As I mentioned earlier, you need to pray for your pastor daily. Pray for his wife and children. Pray that God will guard his heart from temptation, and that God will keep him pure and holy. Pray for him each week as he prepares to preach (he’s praying for you as he prepares). Give him grace when he misses the mark, because he will. You may not be aware of struggles he is facing, or decisions he needs to make that are weighing heavy on his heart. Just love him, because I know he loves you!
P.S.- Pray that God will raise up more men, young and old, into pastoral ministry. It is truly eye-opening to see how many churches simply cannot find qualified, God-called men to fill the pulpits of their churches. Let’s pray together that this will change!
In Christ,
Bro. Carl