After 36 years as a pastor (35 in the same church), I learned (sometimes painfully) that the life of a pastor is a continual reminder that God put His “treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (II Corinthians 4:7).
Did you get the last three words – “not from us”?
These words must sit in our hearts as a reminder that the power for serving God is not within us. We don’t have the strength and wisdom in ourselves for such a life and calling! It’s both a painful and delightful truth.
Let these words settle in our hearts and minds (“the all-surpassing power is from God — not from us”). Repeat them often to yourself. We run out of fuel for the work if we forget this basic truth.
All the energy Christ so powerfully works…
A similar emphasis is found in the following amazing description of ministry. “We proclaim Christ admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:28-29, emphasis mine).
There are many aspects of ministry that remind us that we are not equal to the calling. We must live out the truths of Proverbs 3:5-7 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”
With the Apostle Paul, we should always be asking, “Who is equal to such a task?” (II Corinthians 2:16). The word from the apostle Peter is never far from a shepherd’s heart: “be examples to the flock” (I Peter 5:3). Examples are needed, but not easily provided. It’s tough to be a good example when aware of your own sins! Gratefully, we are also examples of those who live under God’s mercy – amazed by His grace.
Clock-out and go home
Pastors never really clock-out, and go home: “Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?” (II Corinthians 11:29). Gratefully, God designed the Church to be under a plurality of leaders. Who could do this a work alone?
Rhythm of ministry and personal transformation
Those who take the role of Pastor/Elder in the Church are wise to remember that the rhythm of personal transformation (and pastoral ministry) is death and resurrection: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (II Corinthians 4:10-12).
This rhythm continually reminds us of the source for strength. The temptation to rely solely on our own gifts and abilities must be resisted. The apostle spoke of a painful and perplexing time when God used his circumstances to remind him to lean into God for strength.
“We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead” (II Corinthians 1:8-9).
Our Lord’s rhythm
Consider the rhythm of spiritual activity our Lord followed. Trace His steps and you’ll find a pattern of engagement and withdrawal; of crowds and solitude. “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23).
We need time to rest, refresh, and renew — to get perspective in the audience of One.
“Come away” Jesus said, “to a secluded place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). We may not be able to completely clock-out, but we must periodically get away. Find time. Make time. Rest. Refresh. Renew.
Our life-line
A disciplined practice of Psalm 62:8: “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Prayer is so often a perspective gaining session with God. It’s a time to clear our minds by pouring out our hearts to Him!
- “Prayer has become for me much more than a shopping list of requests to present to God. It has become a realignment of everything. I pray to restore the truth of the universe, to gain a glimpse of the world, and of me, through the eyes of God.”
- “In prayer, I shift my point of view away from my own selfishness. I climb above timberline and look down at the speck that is myself. I gaze at the stars and recall what role I, or any of us, play in a universe beyond comprehension. Prayer is the act of seeing reality from God’s point of view” (Philipp Yancey, “Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?”).
We need daily encounters with God based on Hebrews 4:12 and Hebrews 4:16.
- Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
- Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
When we feel overwhelmed or discouraged, we are wise to seek the God who is “our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (II Corinthians 1:3-4).
Just a co-worker in God’s field,
Steve Cornell
18yearfactor@gmail.com
Wisdomforlife 