The last year has yielded the suicides, controversies, and spiritual deconstructions of more pastors and spiritual leaders than I care to remember. This can be hard to understand for many looking in from the outside of the proverbial fishbowl. It begs the question - what is it really like being a pastor?
Pastors are often seen as spiritual giants, biblical gurus, and moral experts. But underneath all of these labels, pastors are just people. We have the same hopes, dreams, trials, and temptations as the rest of you.
We are shepherds, but we are also part of the flock. We are leaders, yet we are also followers of Jesus. We strengthen the faith of others while we struggle with our own. We pray for others and we need their prayers.
We are leaders in the church, but we are also leaders in our homes. We are preachers, teachers, and counselors, but we are also husbands, fathers, and sons. We are concerned about the future of the Church and the futures of our own children and parents.
We have sermons to prepare, services to plan, and people to care for. We also have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and homes to maintain. We have a job to do, a call to answer, and a life to live.
We have worries, anxieties, and fears. We experience grief, mourning, and depression just like anyone else. We are sensitive to the needs of others, but our feelings get hurt too. We must be both authoritative and humble at the same time.
We are on-call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred and sixty five days a year. We are often called to minister far away from our families and hometowns. We sometimes miss out on things because we have to stay available.
No amount of education, training, or credentials could ever fully prepare us for the daily requirements of such a calling. The support of a congregation, the fellowship of other pastors, and the indwelling of the Spirit are the catalysts that carry us through day by day.
We live every day with the constant knowledge that we will stand before God and give an account for the way we live our lives, the way we love our families, and the way we lead our churches. It is a sobering reality.
But make no mistake - we are also blessed beyond measure. We get to participate in a high calling for which we are all greatly under-qualified. Many of us are treated like family by our church members and get to celebrate special moments with them.
We have an entire month acknowledging our particular service. We often receive gifts and encouragement at just the right time. We get more fellowship with dear saints in an average year than most get in a lifetime.
The challenges that come with the task are real, but the blessings far outweigh the challenges. Our job requires us to stay spiritually vigilant, diligently watch our flock, and be constantly sober-minded. It is not a calling for the weak. It requires thick skin, a soft heart, and an iron will.
So, what is it really like to be a pastor? It is the most difficult and simultaneously rewarding job. It is a greatly needed and yet greatly misunderstood calling. Simply put, we are just normal people who are called to lead normal people.
Some are not up to the task. Some are mistaken in thinking they are called to it. And some simply lose hope in the battle. But most of us will keep fighting until we stand before our Lord.
I may not know your pastor, but I know he has a difficult task. That task can be rewarding if you stand by him, bless him, and encourage him. You may be the one who makes the difference in your pastor’s life.
Comments