Quote:
Originally Posted by satz  Quote:
Originally Posted by Pergamum Your quote says: "He must give his days and his nights..."
I have been giving two setsof advice about the ministry: (1) To be diligent and hard-working, and also (2) to get adequate rest and preserve one's nights for his kids.
What were the family lives like for these pastors who gave up their days and nights? How much time did they spend with kids? HOw did they balance urgency of dealing with souls with rest and care of the body? | I don't know if you wanted pastor's responses, but since you put this in general discussions, I thought I would venture to give my opinion.
Psalms 127:1-2 <<A Song of degrees for Solomon.>> Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
I think Psalm 127:1-2 is pretty appropriate to the question you raised as it is to other situations. I think there is still a time for a pastor to "go to sleep" or to spend time with his family, or to rest. Probably moreso than with other work or projects, a pastor will always have more to do or things to take care off, but I think the bible would teach that he should do his reasonable best, reserve time for his own rest/family and trust God for the results.
I guess that does not mean there is not time for extremely hard work, but simply because the work is never ending does not mean, from what I can tell from the bible, that God requires a pastor to never rest, or take time for his family (in fact, to an extent his family must be a priority, for 1 Tim 3 says that caring and ruling his family well is a requsite to be a pastor).  |
I think the question has more to do with what a pastor is doing when he's not spending that time with his family or resting.
In other words, assuming that pastors are allowed to have families and not work themselves to death, is the job of a pastor to sit in his study and read all the time? What is his 8 to 5, especially if he's not working another job to make up for financial lack? Are study and sermon preparation his quintessential responsibilities? I use this example because it's what Pergie mentioned in the OP.
The question obviously doesn't apply to all pastors, but I would agree that it is particularly relevant for our Reformed world.