Yes, there are times when ministry is difficult, perplexing, overwhelming, stressful, load-bearing, harsh, and/or near-to-the-breaking-point! May I encourage you?
To bask in something is to “take it all in, to receive its warmth, or bathe in its goodness” (Oxford Languages). Liza Jane, the cat that inhabited our home for many years, knew what it was to bask in the sunshine. Being an indoor cat, she often would begin her day in the east bedroom of our home curled up “receiving the warmth” of the sun. By afternoon, she was taking her 16th nap stretched out in the southwest bedroom “bathing in the goodness” of the sun.
Difficult times in ministry, if we permit it, can make us cold and bitter to the Lord, our wife, our children, our friends, and especially toward the congregation. Before hard times come, and they will, we should be know well what it means to bask in the presence of God, the abiding life in Christ (John 15:1-11).
Monday’s Ministry Encouragement: Written to encourage you, my friend in ministry, to be refreshed and renewed as we live for Christ and look toward the Bema.
“What do you do for fun?”
This question was posed to me by Sam Brock while riding in his 1946 Jeep Willys on a tour of Ironwood Camp, Newberry Springs, CA.
Pastor friend, may I ask you the same question . . . what do you do for fun?
Whether you are enjoying days of sunshine or stormy weather in ministry, you need to have a release, a time for fun! You need it, your wife needs it, your family needs it, your church family needs it!
Pastor Appreciation Day involves at least three components.
First of all, the words of Paul recorded in 1 Timothy 1:12 is the foundation for Pastor Appreciation Day—And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. A genuine pastor is only where He is because Christ put him in the ministry. Therefore, “Thank You, Lord, for calling me, enabling me, and placing me in this role as a spokesman for You. All the glory and honor and goes to You! You alone are worthy of the praise and appreciation!!”
Second, appreciation goes to every congregation that faithfully supports, encourages, listens, prays for, loves, forgives, puts up with, laughs with, is longsuffering with, and blesses their Bible-preaching pastor. As I think of this day, appreciation must come from us as pastors to our church family for following us, the under-shepherd leading under the Chief Shepherd of the Church (1 Peter 5:4).
Monday’s Ministry Encouragement: Written to encourage you, my friend in ministry, to be refreshed and renewed as we live for Christ and look toward the Bema.
“I’m a visionary. I make a plan, execute the plan, and then ask God to bless it!”
Pastor friend, is that you? If we are all honest, we have said something along those lines in our ministry lifetime.
As revealed last week, my wife and I are launching out into a new field of ministry (Post #1, Post #2, and Post #3). This is a step of faith., and one we believe is totally of the Lord’s initiative.
I am greatly intrigued by a truth from the life of Christ that I cannot clearly grasp, but it speaks volumes to me. In John 5:19, we read, Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. And He goes on to say are recorded in John 5:30, I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Here is Jesus, very God, saying that He cannot do anything of Himself, only what He sees the Father doing, and He does nothing of His own initiative.
Pastor, we put so much pressure upon ourselves that is not pleasing to God. Our expectations, the expectations that we think the congregation has for us, the accomplishment of our goals, the false fulfillment of achieving our goals, all lead to a potentially frustrating, discouraging ministry. This path could even lead to a degree of fallout in the ministry.
Men, look at Christ, the Head of the Church, the Head of the local church you pastor. He did nothing of His own initiative, only what He saw the Father doing. Therefore, each of us as pastors must spend time in the prayer closet with our eye upon Him through His Word hearing from the Head of the Church, and then following what He initiates.
With all due respect, everything does not rise and fall on leadership. Everything rises and falls on God. Therefore, keep your eye on Him. What He initiates, He provides for, He is responsible for the results, and He gets all the glory! What you initiate, you have to provide for, keep it propped up, and you get the glory! You may get some results, but your reward is here, not at the Bema. It’s the difference of Christ pastoring His flock through you or you pastoring your flock through you. . . and then asking God to bless it!
There is nothing wrong with planning, setting goals, and executing the plan . . . as long as it was of Christ’s doing, His initiative, gleaned by abiding in the Vine (John 15:1-16)!
What has Christ initiated in the ministry where you serve?
Monday’s Ministry Encouragement: Written to encourage you, my friend in ministry, to be refreshed and renewed as we live for Christ and look toward the Bema.
It’s Sunday evening. Time to unwind after a long day of ministry. As I check my Twitter account, I read this tweet from DrMalachi.eth (@malachiobrien). My attention is captured in the first two seconds with the words “pastors resigned.”
It’s Monday morning. Your tank is empty. You gave all you had for the Lord yesterday. Your family saw little of you as you were consumed with ministry, people, serving and leading. That comes with the territory and with joy.
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