Have you noticed—October is Pastor Appreciation Month?

Have you noticed—October is Pastor Appreciation Month?

Some churches and individuals make a big deal out of it and have a church supper in honor or their pastor/s—complete with gifts. Some congregations even send their pastor and spouse on a cruise or similar vacation.

Your pastor prays for you.

Then of course there are other congregations that don’t even know the occasion exists, or perhaps pretend they don’t. 

It seems that many people are clueless about just how tough it is to be a pastor. Some believe their pastor simply reads his/her Bible, prays, and visits sick people. The reality is that the job of pastor is much more demanding and complex than that.

I didn’t grow up in a pastor’s home and I’m not a pastor’s wife, so I’ve not have that personal experience. But I’ve know many pastors and have been friends with several pastor’s wives and children. I’ve observed some of the many trials and challenges they go through on a regular basis.

In an article written by Philip Wagner*, himself a pastor, he says that Peter Drucker, the late leadership guru, said that the four hardest jobs in America (not necessarily in order, he added) are:

·         The President of the United States

·         A university president

·         A CEO of a hospital and

·         A pastor 

He goes on to list some of the unique problems pastors face. Here’s a brief synopsis:

1. Pastors face a lot of criticism from many directions and for many reasons.

2. Pastors experience a lot of rejection due to the nature of their position and the nature of congregants coming and going.

3. Pastors often face betrayal, as they work with their staff and minister to people. It’s not unusual for a pastor’s staff or church member to turn on them due to personal conflict or simply not getting their way.

4. Pastors often suffer loneliness due to the fact that they often find it hard to have a close friend.

5. Pastors grow weary due to the numerous hours they spend attending to their many responsibilities.

6. Pastors often have many disappointments and frustrations. Pastors’ salaries are typically average or below the norm and many pastors must have another job in order to meet the financial needs of their families. And they often have no good way to measure their successes and accomplishments. This can be very frustrating.* 

So have you thought about the difficulties faced by pastors, their wives and their children?

Most pastors have such a passion to serve God, lead people to Christ, and equip the body, they push on through many hardships and trials—with God’s help. But if you could interview a large group of pastors, almost all of them would say they’ve experienced many, if not all, of the above challenges at one time or another.  

In Mr. Wagner’s article, he went on to tell a few things Christians and church members can do to help pastors:

1. Pray for your pastor, that he/she will hear clearly from God.

2. Protect your pastor. Don't get involved with gossip and complaining of other church members.

3. Encourage your pastor. Find ways to help lighten the load and let him/her know you care and want to help in any way you can. 

Baby Dedication <> Happy Time for Pastor

These three things appear to be very simple and I believe the Holy Spirit can show us other things we can do for our pastors that are specific to their individual needs. When we, as church members, do the above three things with diligence and sincerity, it can make a huge difference in the lives of our pastors and their families. And just think of the benefits for the church as a whole as well.

Remember to smile at your pastor and be friendly to his/her spouse and children. If you want to see your pastor smile back, tell him/her that you appreciate and are praying for him/her.

AND since this is Pastor Appreciation Month, perhaps a gift card or some such gesture of appreciation is in order. Ask God to help you come up with the best way to bless your pastor/s. 

* Italicized sections are paraphrased from Philip Wagner’s article, “The Secret Pain of Pastors and Church Leaders.”  To read the entire article, go to:

http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/167379-philip-wagner-secret-pain-of-pastors.html.

©Connie Wohlford 2016

“Say, ‘Yes,’ Granny. Say, ‘Yes!’”

“Say, ‘Yes,’ Granny. Say, ‘Yes!’”      

“Say, ‘Yes,’ Granny. Say, ‘Yes!’”

His image is seared into my mind forever—my four year old grandson looking up at me—with huge brown eyes and raised eye brows, yearning for a positive response. As any self-respecting granny would, I looked adoringly at his face wanting to say, “Yes,” but he had not yet stated his request.

So before giving an answer, I had to say, “What is it, William? What do you want, you precious darling?”

I believe God says to us, “Say ‘Yes,’ (insert your name). Say ‘Yes!’” And, hey, He may even add, “you precious darling.”  When God calls our names to follow Him initially and when He gives a specific directive, He wants our response to be, “Yes.”

And just like William, sometimes our Lord wants us to say, “Yes,” even before we know what He wants us to do.

We must be convinced that when we say, “Yes,” to the Lord, it’s for our good.

 

We must know, in the depths of our being, that when we say, “Yes,” to our Creator, we open up the door to our destiny.

When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him they each said, “Yes,” immediately, knowing little about to what they were agreeing. But in their hearts, they knew they could trust Him. 

 Matthew tells us,

“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV).

We don’t know what is weighing in the balance by our answer. But God knows.

We don’t know what hardship or blessing will result from our answer. But God knows.

What if Peter, Andrew, James, and John had said, “No,” when Jesus said “Follow Me.” Each would have closed the door to his God-ordained destiny.

Are you aware that you have a God-ordained destiny? God knows each of our names and we’re each called to follow Jesus. He has a plan and purpose for each of our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). 

When we say, “Yes,” and believe and receive Jesus, we’re taking the first step into our God-ordained destiny. That first step, though, is not the end-all. Yes, it determines our eternal home but it’s just the beginning of our walk with the Lord.

Over and again, we need to say, “Yes,” to the call of Christ. Each time we do, we’re stepping further into our destiny and deeper into our relationship with Jesus.

As we trust Him with more, He trusts us with more. I repeat: As we trust Him with more, He trusts us with more.  

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also with much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much” (Luke 16:10 NASB).

Is Jesus asking you to say, “Yes,” to something? Don’t say, “No,” closing the door to your destiny. By the way, “Maybe,” is a negative response as well.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve said, “No,” to His call in the past. That doesn’t mean it’s over. Our God is full of grace and is a second and third (and more) chance God. 

He doesn’t get mad at us but it saddens Him when we turn away from His calling

.

This time say, “Yes.” Boldly say, “Yes,” with joy and anticipation at what God’s going to do.  With a willing vessel, God is able to do exceedingly more than we can ask or think or imagine because of his Spirit working in and through us (Ephesians 3:20).

Is God saying, “Say, ‘Yes,’ (your name). Say, ‘Yes!’”?

 ©Connie Wohlford 2016