Today, I would like to share a really unique kind of love, a love unlike any other I have ever experienced. The love I speak of is the love of a pastor (shepherd) for his congregation (flock). It is the most difficult type of love I have ever seen man struggle with. Here is a man or woman that is called by God and directed by God yet expected to serve at the "pleasure" of the congregation.
The denomination I belong to "votes" to accept or reject a pastor, therefore, he literally serves at the will and the whim of the congregation no matter how backslidden that congregation may be. Yet, this man is expected to also serve God first and foremost. Do you see the tension here? Add to all of this the fact that the pastor is a human being faced with all the faults and failures inherent in that condition and you can see how impossible his task is.
Yet pastors regularly visit the sick, witness to the lost, pray with the broken hearted, walk along side those that are going through difficult times (I know because a Minister of Music walked with me the two times my husband was hospitalized) and rejoice with those that are rejoicing. They are "on call" twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Many times their families will go a week or more without seeing them because they have left early to pray with someone before surgery and come home late after some church committee meeting. They also put in forty hours or more on the music that leads us to a state of worship or their sermons for Sunday in addition to all their other duties. I, personally, can't remember ever spending time with any member of a church staff without the phone ringing at least once every fifteen minutes ( sometimes once every five minutes) and people just "poking their head in to say hello, or ask a question." Yet, God gives the the patience to deal with all these interruptions and redeems the time so that they may carry out what HE has called them to do, lead the flock.
Pastors work ungodly hours for little or no pay because church's believe that the "rewards of full time ministry" should be compensation enough. The Bible states that " a workman is worth his hire" and we wouldn't hesitate to quote that scripture when asking for a yearly raise or bonus. Yet we hesitate to do the same thing for our church staff. All in all, pastoring a church must be a labor of love otherwise there would be no pastors and I haven't even mentioned the constant gossip, backbiting, feuding, lack of common respect, and criticism that is a large part of their daily diet.
The pastors I have known have somehow risen above all of these negatives to supernaturally love their people. In spite of working conditions that none of us would submit ourselves to, they find time to give a hug or a word of encouragement to all they meet. They even find time to offer Christ's love to strangers! And they love one and all unconditionally with the love of God!
Every month should be "Pastor Appreciation Month" and I believe that every person out there that has a pastor or teacher that has taken time out of an over packed schedule to talk to them or just to listen to them should start planning now a tangible way to show your appreciation. You don't have to spend a lot of money to show appreciation. We never have any trouble talking when we think something is wrong in the church so take that "talent" and use it to tell the pastor or church staff members in your life how much they mean to you. Let them know that you notice when he is tired from a busy week and offer to do some "secretarial" things for him. Offer to wash his car or take him out to a fast food restaurant for a quick bite. Take him to a coffee shop and buy him a cup of his favorite coffee or buy him a pound of a favorite coffee and present it to him as a token of your appreciation for all the hard, thankless work he puts in every day.
But the best present you can give him year round, is the permission to be human and to make mistakes. Pastors make the effort to love us not matter how unlovely we are. Now we need to take the opportunity to return that love no matter what mistakes or faults we may think exist in his life (How would you like to put your life under that microscope you look at the pastor's life through? Would you pass an inspection like that?) A simple "I love you" would probably shock the poor man/woman so badly you could be the first ones to the restaurant on Sunday!
Seriously, let's all make a concerted effort to start returning the love our pastors show every day. Like us, they, too, need to feel the love of fellow human beings. Do something today to show your pastor you love him/her. I KNOW they will appreciate it!
By the way, no, my husband is NOT a pastor and has never been a pastor. I am writing from the heart of one who has been loved, comforted, mentored and cared for by a Minister of Music and his loving wife for ten years. This is my tribute to their calling and their willingness to follow and trust in God. They have been my example and I hope one day to be as close to God and as willing to serve Him as they are.
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