When Pastoring Gets Hard

Actually, I should ask, "when does pastoring not get hard?" But, that is not the title.

Three years ago, when my Mom was dying in the hospital, her doctor of 30 or more years came in, and we had made the decision that we would let her go--no more lifesaving attempts, no more tests that were not going to change the outcome, no more bothering her with what she didn't want. Her doctor said that morning, as he suggested more tests we could try, "This is when doctoring gets hard." He had to give up and say, "There is no more I can do."

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 of the people there, "we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

It is hard to be a pastor when you preach and teach the gospel, and genuinely care for the people and they turn away from the Lord to lesser things. It is hard to be a pastor when you love the people and take them to doctor visits and hospital visits, and then hear that the person is terminal and it will only be a matter of time. It is hard to be a pastor and try to give hope when you almost lose hope inside.

Loving people costs. At times, it almost costs too much. There is pain and hurt--there is agony and suffering. I wish, at times, that I could only give the gospel without giving also my life to others. But without love we are just a loud noise that doesn't make much difference (see 1 Corinthians 13).

Pastoring and loving go together, but they both sure hurt at times. But there are some people in our world that only find God's love through our love. And there are some in our world that have no one else who genuinely loves them. That too makes me ache. But at least, we get a chance to show the love of God that is everlasting, even if it hurts.

Thanks God for the privilege of being your servant, even when it hurts. Make me a more loving, useful servant to you and for your purposes. Amen.