Being a pastor is really crazy. It can’t really be compared to any other profession that I can think of. To say that it has its ‘ups and downs’ is a bit of an understatement. At one moment it is as if God Almighty is my Boss, and the next moment it seems that I have hundreds of earthly bosses all demanding something different. Sometimes it seems as though I’m filled with the courage and confidence of Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), and other times I’m as nervous and intimidated as he was in the darkness of that hidden cave in the very next chapter. In some cases the Lord’s Will is apparent and obvious, while in other circumstances each and every word and action feels as though it demands a leap of faith. At times there is such an assurance of the Lord’s presence and blessing that it would seem I would never again entertain another doubt concerning His faithfulness or love. Unimaginably, those times can be followed by cold and shadowy moments when I am honestly questioning His very existence. Some of the people that I come in contact with in this ‘profession’ are open, extremely grateful, and hungry for what it is I’m promoting. Others, however, see me as nothing more than a salesman who is peddling an out-dated, inappropriate, and irrelevant basket of fables and fairy-tales. While still others compare my talents as a ‘salesman’ with the myriad of other salesmen they’ve seen and heard throughout their lives. These comparisons are usually communicated in a multitude of creative ways; everything from well-crafted emails to simply walking out of my life, never to be heard from again. Truly, the pastorate is full of inconceivable ups and unimaginable downs. Like I said, being a pastor is crazy.
It has been said that the majority of people in our world today do much better with a “pat on the back” than they do with a “kick in the butt”. I think that is true. No matter the profession, or the situation, most folks will soar when their accomplishments are recognized and rewarded in some positive manner. Years ago, Focus On The Family instituted the month of October to be national “Pastor Appreciation Month”. As a pastor, I am very grateful for this. Of course it goes without saying that Jesus Christ is the only One that should ever be placed on any kind of a pedestal. However, to have a time set apart for those who are being ministered to through the ministry of the local pastor to have a chance to verbalize that appreciation is a powerful thing indeed. Perhaps it is powerful for those individuals, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is most definitely influential and powerful for the pastors as well.
When the appreciation month is over, when the ‘thank-you’ cards stop coming, when the cookies stop being delivered, when the pats on the back stop… the job of a pastor continues. As much as all of that has built-up, strengthened, and majorly encouraged the heart of a pastor it will never, ultimately, be enough. The singular thing that must drive a pastor is the call of God.
The apostle Paul once said, “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it” (I Corinthians 9:22-23).
Paul was a man who could have put most others to shame with his knowledge of the Holy Scriptures (the Torah and the Law). When Paul hung out with the guys who did nothing but study that stuff, he could easily hold his own - He was absolutely no novice in the areas of theology and Biblical understanding. Yet, when his travels took him to those that did not know the Scriptures, he didn’t come off as a know-it-all snob. He came off “weak”. Why? His answer is that He does everything for the sake of the Gospel (translated “Good News”) and then he adds this awesome line: “so that I may become a fellow partaker of it”. The Message Translations says it this way, “I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!”
I like that.
As a pastor, I so appreciate that God is moving and that He could actually use a goof like me, even in the slightest of ways, blows my mind. To be appreciated for the work that I do is so completely encouraging and blesses me more than I can express. However, God really does deserve the applause on this one. You see, whether there are way more ups than downs, or way more downs than ups, doesn’t matter in the end. What does ultimately matter is that this Good News is truly, really, authentically, radically, beyond a shadow of a doubt, indescribably… good. This Gospel is something that is so real and so awesome that I seriously just want to be in on it. It is a privilege and an honor to be called “pastor” and I’ll gladly take the lumps, as long as I am afforded the opportunity to be a fellow partaker of this Gospel… a fellow partaker of God’s Story.
