Being a pastor can be a really tough job. We love the church and feel honoured to teach God’s word. But we go through our spiritual highs and lows. We feel discouraged at times. We often feel that our sermons are boring and having no impact. We are tempted to focus just on the wrong in the church and forget what’s right. Sometimes we just have bad days or bad weeks. Many times we are discouraged by our own sinfulness.
With this in mind, here are my Top Ten tips for pastors:
1. Never change your razor blade on a Sunday morning
2. The sermon you thought was your best was probably your worst and vice versa.
3. Never resign on a Monday. You’ll probably feel better by Tuesday.
4. Don’t buy the strobe lights, the smoke machine or the perspex pulpit. God’s word will do it’s work.
5. Don’t feel bad that your life is actually quite boring. Spending most of your day in the study preparing sermons is the best thing you could be doing.
6. Don’t be too upset if your Sunday services do not run perfectly. Most people are so encouraged to see that you guys are not perfect.
7. Make that phone call or visit. Problems don’t solve themselves no matter how much you hope they will.
8. Make sure you go on holiday. The church will probably grow and you will discover (again) that you are not God’s indispensable gift to the church.
9. The church members do actually love you.
10. The guy in row four falling asleep during your sermon might have had a really, really bad night and it’s probably no reflection on your sermon.
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7)
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)
Why don’t you make praying for your pastor a regular item on your prayer diary?
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