I make no claim that pastors are perfect people. We mess up. Most pastors I know are genuine, faithful followers of God. They’ve learned that the work of pastoral ministry carries heartache with it. Here are some of the aches of a pastor’s heart:
- We mourn when marriages fall apart and grieve at the pain divorce causes.
- We hurt when young people make decisions that lead to future difficulty. We understand that too often we cannot stop them.
- We beat ourselves up when a sermon wasn’t nearly as effective as we thought it should have been. We’re usually are our own worst critics.
- We grieve the sin of others more than they do. We know we can’t bring people to repentance, and it’s agonizing watching them moving toward the world and ruin.
- We ache when we must deal with difficult issues and carry out church discipline.
- We struggle when the churches we lead aren’t growing spiritually or numerically. We genuinely care that people are lost.
- We hurt alone when we see the loneliness and struggles of our families.
- We grieve funerals for persons who showed no evidence of Christian conversion.
- We wrestle with loneliness that comes along with ministry.
- We feel guilty even expressing any of these thoughts.
Your pastor and their spouses are men and women who care deeply about your soul and eternal future. While they cannot be at every event or solve every issue in your life, they want what is best for your life and family. For most, pastoring is not a job, but a passion. Make it a priority to keep them in your prayers regularly.
* Edited article from Charles Lawless,
Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary