BE A JOY TO YOUR LEADERS
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an
account. To this end, allow them to lead with joyG5479 and not with grief, for that would be of no
advantage to you.
Hebrews 13:17
After a very significant health scare, the Lord spoke to me (Susan) and said that I needed to fight because He had a good future, hope, and a plan for me according to His word:
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
Part of the exhortation that He gave me was that His ministers were the forgotten part—the most underserved people—of the body of Christ. Ministers need ministry in as great or greater measure than their congregations. They are constantly meeting the needs of others and often neglecting themselves. Congregations often forget this fact about their leaders. The members of the church see them at their best in the pulpit, while under the power of the Holy Spirit, or in their pastoral role at weddings, bedsides, and funerals. They do not see the humanity, the daily trials in their pastors’ lives. Pastors are often lonely for close friendships, mostly due to the difficulty of carving out time. Many church members expect the pastor to be available 24/7, which leaves little time for recreation or relationships with family and/or friends. We expect pastors to live up to a higher standard, as we should; but we also need to remember that they are humans saved by grace just as we are.
Have you ever written a note of encouragement to your pastor or other church staff? Before you criticize their actions, do you also recognize the positive things in their leadership? Before you underscore their weaknesses, do you highlight their strengths? Be a joy rather than a burden to your leaders.
Father, help us to be faithful to the mission You gave us to minister to other ministers. Help us to pray consistently for them, to send them encouraging notes, and to bless them in other ways You reveal to us.
Worship with Ray Boltz singing “Thank You for Giving to the Lord”: