{"id":31914,"date":"2022-09-10T15:48:58","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/when-the-weight-of-pastoring-seems-too-much-to-bear\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:48:58","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:48:58","slug":"when-the-weight-of-pastoring-seems-too-much-to-bear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/when-the-weight-of-pastoring-seems-too-much-to-bear\/","title":{"rendered":"When the Weight of Pastoring Seems Too Much to Bear"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Matt Henslee<\/em><\/p>\n

The best job in the world is being a pastor. But I also know there are times when it\u2019s the worst.<\/p>\n

I mean, if you want a job where everyone loves you and cheers for you, you might as well buy an ice cream truck and get started.<\/p>\n

But for real, pastoring is awesome. You get a front-row seat to see the hand of God at work. You see people released from the bondage of sin, relationships restored, and lives changed or renewed by the gospel you declare.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s also terrible. Why? Because you get a front-row seat to see the enemy at work. You\u2019ll see him prowling about, looking for unsuspecting victims, and going in for the kill.<\/p>\n

Marriages will be ripped in two, friends will become enemies, and you may even find your church body in tatters from Satan\u2019s assaults.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s Awesome, It\u2019s Terrible, and It\u2019s Totally Worth It<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re relying on the awesome to outweigh the terrible to keep you in the fight, I hate to break it to you: it\u2019s not worth it. But if you remember your calling (Ephesians 4:1-16), remember who you\u2019re fighting (Ephesians 6:10-20), and remember Who\u2019s fighting with and for you (Romans 8:18-39), it\u2019s totally worth it.<\/em><\/p>\n

You see, we pastors tend to put on a nice fa\u00e7ade for social media. You see the good in comments like \u201cgreat crowd today\u201d or \u201cwe had four come forward to trust Jesus,\u201d but rarely hear about the bad and the ugly. Pastors don\u2019t post online about the terribly heavy counseling situations they have or members who are sowing discord.<\/p>\n

And you know what? I get it. We want to put the best face our church forward, make the most of Jesus on our platforms, and avoid projecting an image of being a Debbie Downer. Plus, there are some things we simply can\u2019t talk about.<\/p>\n

In the Shadows of Ministry<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are counseling sessions where you learn a spouse is addicted to porn or struggling with suicidal thoughts. There are counseling sessions where you learn a husband beat his wife or vice versa. Shoot, let\u2019s go all-in; there are times you discover a child has been sexually molested.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t post about these things on social media or talk to your fellow church members about them, well, because you can\u2019t. Beyond the fact that personally sharing some of these issues will make you so sick to your stomach, there\u2019s the whole issue of confidentiality (of course, this doesn\u2019t apply to you immediately contacting and cooperating with police and proper authorities for issues that involve crimes).<\/p>\n

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See also  Video: Leading Change in the Church<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But let me let you in on a little secret. Are you listening?<\/p>\n

In the shadows of ministry, He is there.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Shadow of the Almighty<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Fellow pastors, church leaders, and whoever else is reading this: when you seem to be in the darkest shadows of ministry when the weight gets too much to bear, you have to remember this. In fact, I encourage you to grab your Bible right now and underline Psalm 91:1.<\/p>\n

The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to get too mushy and gushy here, but think about this. When you step outside today and see your shadow, where is it the darkest? That\u2019s right\u2014in the part closest to you. That\u2019s what I think about when I remember I dwell<\/em> in the shadow of the Almighty.<\/p>\n

Yes, God is always with us\u2026I mean, the Spirit indwells us!<\/em> But when the shadows of ministry get darker and darker, realize that\u2014in those moments\u2014you\u2019re the closest you can possibly be to the Almighty until you stand before Him in heaven.<\/p>\n

Lean in and trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Trust that God is going to bring sense to the senseless. Trust He\u2019s going to give hope to the hopeless. And for crying out loud, trust He\u2019s never going to leave or forsake you because in the darkest shadows of ministry, He\u2019s right there by your side and is for you<\/em>.<\/p>\n

You see, since we pastors can\u2019t discuss the specifics of the shadows we\u2019re under, no one else truly knows the weight we\u2019re carrying at any given time. But God\u2014He knows. He cares, and He\u2019s closest when you\u2019re in the darkest shadow of ministry.<\/p>\n

Take some time to reflect on this, and then do something for me. If you\u2019re a pastor, take a moment right now to look for the first pastor on your Twitter or Facebook feed, pray for them, and send them a message of encouragement.<\/p>\n

Church members, stop what you\u2019re doing right now and pray for your pastors. Even if it seems like they have everything together, still pray for them.<\/p>\n

They need it more than you\u2019ll ever know.<\/p>\n

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Matt Henslee<\/h2>\n

@mhenslee<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Matt and his wife Rebecca have four daughters. He is the Associational Mission Strategist for the Collin Baptist Association in Texas, and coauthor of Replanting Rural Churches<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n