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The church that I pastor has only about 60 people. In addition to pastoral duties, I also work as a carpenter to help try to pay the bills. I don't know if I think of myself as over-worked, but I do know that at times I know weariness.
I think that most pastors find little labor in the act of reading, studying, and preaching/teaching. I love to study and preach. Many have asked me how long I spend preparing for each message. This is a difficult question to answer. Every book you read aids in preparing for preaching, whether we are speaking of commentaries, sermons, or even general history. Some sermons I might literally spend many hours preparing. Other times perhaps not so much, not taking in account the body of things considered over the years. The pastor is to be ready in season and out of season, always prepared to teach and preach.
I think the greatest area in which a pastor labors is in his soul over the people. How many hours are spent praying? How many hours are spent peace making? Many times the labor of the pastor is greatly appreciated. Some times, however, his labor goes unnoticed. Sometimes a pastor will labor to preach and teach through a specific area, only to feel as if his efforts have fallen largely upon deaf ears.
There is a certain degree of stress laid upon men in ministry. First, they must take great care to good teachers. The book of James states that not many should desire teach, knowing that they receive the greater condemnation. A careful teacher ponders his great responsibility to properly teach the Scriptures. Secondly, they are laboring over the souls of the people. Any genuine shepherd realizes great anguish of soul over those who appear to be drifting away. He prays diligently for the conversion of those who show little evidence of saving grace. He is ready always to rejoice with the rejoicing, to weep with the weeping. Thirdly, He is constantly aware of biblical qualification of the office, knowing that he must be blameless and have a good reputation among those even outside the church. Sometimes even the pastor feels tempted to punch that stiffnecked church member who insists in tearing down his family!
The office of the pastorate is a good work. We find our source of inspiration in the knowledge that we are laboring for God and that He blesses those who serve well. It would be nice if those we minister to would appreciate our labor, yet we know that we are not laboring as men pleasers. (Indeed, what pastor has not lost a friend, or even many, for merely insisting upon what the Word teaches?) People are generally pleased to pay the carpenter for the new kitchen installed. They are excited about their purchases at the mall and gladly hand over the cash (maybe the credit card these days.) Yet many resist the notion of paying the pastor, even though they are responsible for things of eternal weight, namely watching over the souls of the people.
I think the church would do well overall in being aware of being thankful and considerate of the labor of others. For many years I served in the church as a deacon, faithfully doing what I could to be helpful. In all those years, I only once had someone come to me and thank me for the labor I put into the office. We tend to assume and take for granted the labor of those around us, whether it be our pastors, our spouse, our parents, our children etc.
Don't forget to encourage one another, even your pastor from time to time!
In Christ,
Bob
Pastor,
Faith Baptist Church
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