A few years ago, I would have told them that I loved preaching and being a shepherd, and that I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do, I also admit that I wasn’t sure I could do it for another ten years. .
I had no idea how anyone could do this for over twenty years. Then I read two useful books: Reset by David Murray and Zeal Without Burnout by Christopher Ash. They have both been a great help in getting me to where I am now.
- But without a network of like-minded brothers in the ministry.
- I’m not sure those books would have been enough to keep me from getting lost.
- These relationships are vital to me as I seek a long and fruitful ministry.
In the first year of our church, I had an idea of how isolation can further exacerbate the normal burdens and pressures of the ministry. It’s like throwing a bag of stones on your back on an already arduous journey. I’ve seen men trying to make it. His ministry in this way for years. They are already fighting discouragement at the rate at which the church grows, both spiritually and numerically, and this is reinforced by their efforts to fundamentally build the church on a desert island.
They’re alone and they’re starting to believe lies, don’t you know anyone who shares their philosophical beliefs about ministry?Person with whom to share their joys or walk with them in their struggles. They have no one to look at from their own ministry and remind them of God’s greatest work in their Kingdom.
How can we persevere in such a ministry? Well, they often can’t. And here’s why.
The Apostle Paul had to remind the Corinthians that the message of the cross is madness and scandal for those who perish (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23). The gospel only makes sense to those who discern it spiritually.
But we must not forget that Paul feels the need to call him back to church. Why? Because they were attracted to the same kind of pragmatic values shared by the world (2Co 11). Pastors tend to do the same, especially when it seems that the gospel has no power and that work is moving slower than we think.
Without a network of like-minded pastors, we forgot about the biblical principles that excited us about ministry, and more easily resorted to pragmatic methods that have drawn crowds to other ministries. But building strong relationships with other like-minded pastors will remind us that there is more rest and power in a ministry that is entirely dependent on the Lord (2C 12. 9).
Lewis said friendship is born when one man says to the other, “What!You too? We pastors can find good and pious friendships with many in our own church, but we have a unique responsibility to these same friends. How can a shepherd get tired? And if your wife is the only one who lets you take off your shepherd’s hat for a minute, then you’re going to exhaust it (and the church didn’t call her to be another old lady). .
But in a network of like-minded pastors, we find the support and encouragement we need to keep doing what we do. There is something that gives life to sit with a friend who can sympathize with their struggles and share their joys as a simple shepherd. of your sheep. In fact, sometimes we need him to guide us. Sometimes we have to guide them. Friendships with other shepherds are part of how God cares for us and gives us spiritual rest (Proverbs 17:17).
There’s probably a lot to encourage in your church, but if we hope to play a role in the reach of the world and just observe what’s going on within your own church, the ministry will feel like running on a treadmill. energy, but you’re not really going anywhere.
When you focus only on what your church can, or shouldn’t, do, or shouldn’t, you develop a kind of tunnel vision that prevents you from seeing what’s happening in the kingdom of God as a whole. network of churches seeking to complete the Great Commission together, you are broad expanding your perspective. Christ is building your church today, and you are part of that work.
As pastors, we must be concerned about what is happening in the world and what is happening in the next pulpit, this concern will help us combat wear and tear. This will take us away from an unhealthy approach in our own ministry, while opening our eyes to be animated by what God is doing in the broader work of which we are a part. In addition, a greater concern about how Christianity takes itself off the walls. your church will necessarily lead to the type of relationship described above.
If you are reading this as a pastor and need friends, email another pastor in your area and ask them to read this article with you. Maybe he’ll create a friendship that’ll keep them both alive.
Here are some other ideas: Get more involved in your association. Gather a small group of pastors regularly, if you haven’t already. If you are a church member reading this, make sure your pastor is encouraged to have friends inside and outside of the church. Help your church evaluate the ministry you have with other pastors, perhaps setting aside money in the budget for that. This will not only be vital to your own church, but also to the larger body of Christ.