Did you know that October is “Pastor Appreciation Month?”
Unless your church makes a point to mention it or you have it marked on your
calendar, then most likely you had no clue. Having grown up as the daughter of
a senior pastor all of my life and now being married to a worship pastor, I get
the insider’s scoop of what these leaders go through in ministry which is something that
you may never get to see. I can remember several nights in my childhood where
my dad chose to respond to a
desperate call from a church family who needed their pastor in a crisis moment. Fast forward to my life now and being married
to Derek, you’d never know the number of
Saturday nights and other days throughout the week that he lays in bed restless
because of ministry related work and the weight of leading the people he is
responsible for.
It burdens me, as a church member and pastor’s wife, the
audacity that we can sometimes have to tear down the same men and women who are
making God’s Word come alive for us and teaching us biblical truths several
times each week. Or, in my case, a man who is so passionate and responsible for
cultivating an inviting and intimate atmosphere of worship for our church. They
don’t do what they do because they are looking to please you or to get their
praises shouted out. Our pastors have accepted a call in their lives from
God to lead His people. More times than not we want more, more, MORE from
our pastors than we are willing to admit and usually don’t think twice to say a
simple, “Thank you.” You may not realize it, but fulfilling the role as
a pastor can be a very lonely place to be. From the wife of a pastor, I am
asking you to go the extra mile this month to appreciate ALL of your pastors. I am asking this of you because 1) they need
it, 2) ministry wives (and husbands) are blessed when their spouse is honored and
3) because we are encouraged instructed to do so in the Bible. Don’t
believe me?
“Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the
Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great
respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully
with each other.” 1 Thess. 5:12-13 (NLT)
“Let the elders who
rule well be considered worthy of double
honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” 1 Tim. 5:17
(ESV)
“Give to everyone what you owe them: If you
owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” Rom. 13:7
(NIV)
This isn’t only a note for church members but this also goes
for you, the wife or husband of a pastor or ministry leader. Sometimes the only
place your “pastor spouse” (yes, I just made that word up) gets affirmation and
encouragement is at home. If they can’t look to home as being that constant
place of affirmation, security, and love, then you’re doing just as much damage
to them as some of the people that are throwing the rocks to begin with. In the
bigger picture, your pastors should be getting the most honor and respect from
their home, your church. There’s truth to what Jesus said in
Mathew 13:57 about a prophet not getting honor in his own country or home…
Think about it. Not only because Derek is my husband but also because he is one
of my pastors, I am to honor and show him respect.
Here are some practical ways to honor your pastor(s) this
month:
1.
Cut back
on the criticism- Most workers get evaluated once or twice a year. Pastors,
on the other hand, get criticized almost on a weekly basis. Could you imagine
being under such constant scrutiny? Additionally, most of the time our
criticism comes from a place of selfishness, personal preferences, and without
a solution to a problem. Use your mouths and words to lift up your pastor, not
tear him down.
2.
Pray for
them (a lot) - They need it!
3.
Express
appreciation in writing- Give your pastor a handwritten note or send an
e-mail with simple words of thanks for something specific. Your pastor will be
able to keep this note for many years to come and, perhaps, look back to it on
a hard day.
4. Offer to fill a need- if you have a
skill or the time available to fill a need in your church, do it. Maybe you can
only commit to serving for a month, or even a year. It is so hard on pastors to
have to take the role as “recruiters” too. Lessen their ministry load by using
your skills to help! If you can’t seem to find a talent to use, then contribute
financially to a church project. There’s a
way for everyone to fill a need!
5.
Squash
gossip- This is self-explanatory. Don’t spread gossip, stop it when you
hear it, and encourage others to do the same. Lead by example in this area.
What good does gossip serve you anyways? None. It definitely won’t serve your
pastor in any beneficial way either.
6.
Be
responsive- it fuels your pastors to see a head nod in agreement during a
message, or event just to hear a responsive “Yes!” or “Amen!” It’s hard to
preach or minister to a congregation that is lifeless. Be responsive and give
back some of the life that your pastor is pouring out for you. Try it. J
7.
Don’t
play the comparisons game- Lining your pastor and church up to another
ministry’s measuring stick is a lose-lose situation. Your pastor wasn’t called
to be anyone other than who God uniquely created him/her to be and they can’t
live up to all of your expectations anyways. Throw out the stick!
No comments:
Post a Comment