You are my pastor. You are not perfect. You get frustrated like everyone else. You don’t always say exactly what you should say. You do indeed make some mistakes. On that reality you readily agree.
But your imperfections are often magnified in the light of your leadership role. When you please one congregant, you often displease another. You can’t make everyone happy, and you hear criticisms more times than most of us could endure.
You Are My Pastor Who Loves
Despite your imperfections and the critics who vocalize them, you still love the people in the church you serve. You sat by that man whose surgery was a matter of life and death. You gave him the assurance that God would be with him. Your presence gave him the calm and peace he needed to come through the procedure safely.
You also met with that homeless man who came to the church. You could have ignored him, but you saw him as one of “the least of these.” You ministered to him. You gave him food. You found a place for him to stay. And you shared the gospel of Christ with him.
You are my pastor who takes calls in the middle of the night. You were awakened abruptly by the teenager’s parents when he was in the terrible automobile accident. You arrived at the hospital in time for his mom and dad to fall on your shoulders when the doctor said he didn’t make it.
They wept. And so did you.
You Are My Pastor Who Preaches
Every week, you must listen to God and study His Word. You work hours to prepare that message. You love the people so much that you want them to hear God’s Word for their lives.
You approach the pulpit pleading with God to speak through you. Even though you have spent hours in sermon preparation, you want the message to be His, not yours.
You Are My Pastor Who Balances
I don’t know how you do it. The demands on your life are endless. Everyone wants you at that function. Everyone wants you in that meeting. Everyone expects you to make that visit. You wonder what it would be like just to work 40 hours a week.
But you have a family that needs you. You often worry that you are neglecting them for the greater family of the church you serve. And at times you do. But somehow you ultimately balance your life so that you can date your wife and watch your kids play ball.
But your life is out of balance because you don’t rest sufficiently. You give your all to others and save little for yourself.
You Are My Pastor Who Is Called
Why do you do it? There are so many jobs where the hours are better, the critics are fewer, and the pay is higher. When you are confronted with that question, you simply smile. You do what you do because you know God has called you to do it. And you know you couldn’t do what you do unless He called you.
You are my pastor.
You have one of the toughest jobs in the world. Let me say it better. You have an impossible job unless God is in it. You therefore depend upon His strength and rest in His call every day.
You are my pastor.
Too often I take you for granted. Too often I tell you what’s wrong instead of telling you how much I love you. Too often I forget that you are a human with feelings that hurt and eyes that cry. Too often I ask you to meet my needs instead of looking to meet yours.
You are my pastor.
I salute you. I thank you. And I pray for you.
May these few words be a reminder to you that we in the church do love you. We do not say it enough, but we love you.
Thank you for being my pastor.
Posted on May 17, 2011
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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20 Comments
This was so beautiful to read. This is so much my Pastor Grant Foster. So I hope you don’t mind I’m going to borrow it from you to give it to him for Christmas. Thank you & Sincerely Deborah Young
About once a month I send an anonymous card to my pastor just to encourage him and thank him for EVERYTHING he does. Being a Pastor is a thankless job & it was something God laid on my heart to start doing several years ago when my husband and I attended another church. That Pastor moved out of town via God’s call & we moved on also so I continued it in our new church. I’m sure Pastor Dave wonders who sends him those cards, I just smile…mine & God’s secret
This is excellent! I blog for pastors’ wives and am always looking for encouraging posts to share. I shared this one with my readers. Thank you for being a blessing to ministry families!
Thank you Leah.
Thank you for this post it was super encouraging. I’m not a Pastor but I am so thankful for the Pastor God has given to my family. This post inspired me and my team at FundamentalMedia to produce this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9ASJcX8mDo&feature=player_embedded
Thank you for inspiringmessage
thank you for very inspiring message and encouragement, im really appreciated! may God continually open your spiritual discernment to strengthen the workers of God.