KEEPING PERSPECTIVE

A low attendance Sunday, a day when you are constantly interrupted by the trivial, a sleepless night, a negative church council meeting, a sermon that seems to have touched no one, an overscheduled day that leave you exhausted ..........

This are things that try a pastor's soul.  Tim Hansel once said, "The problem with life is that it is so daily."   And I might add, a pastor's life often includes one or more of the above list (or its kin) on almost a daily basis.

String enough of these together and a pastor begins to question his capability and doubt his call.  In fact, it seems ironic that it is often the accumulation of many small things over a long period of time that causes pastors to either resign themselves to a joyless ministry, or quit the ministry.

I have a friend who used to say he quit every Tuesday (Monday night was church meeting night) but managed to re-up in time to be in the pulpit on Sunday morning.  I know that in almost 40 years of ministry I have resigned mentally or in written draft many times.  Only once in the ministry have I resigned myself to resigning from the ministry (selling insurance if need be to support my family), and a very wise daughter told me, "You can't do that. You are a pastor."

She provided me some perspective that day that drew me back to my calling and gifting from God, reminding of the passions of my heart.  I will always be grateful for her helping me to rediscover some perspective in a dark and dismal time.

However, there is something far more important to which I need to anchor my life and the ministry God has given me.  It is the fact that God works.

Paul was no stranger to the burdens, the distractions, the defeats that often seemed to accompany ministry.  And he wrote these words--first to the Church of God at Rome, and then on to us, and I believe, in particular for those of us who have made vocation of serving the Lord as pastors in churches.

 ^"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

God is at work in all things ... even distractions, troubling council meetings, sermons that seem a failure.
God is at work for the good ... God's kingdom purposes are at work in all of those things and He is ultimately the one who is responsible for the outcomes.
God is at work for those who love him ... the problems of ministry don't make you stop loving Jesus.        God is at work for those who are called according to his purposes...God called you. Your job is to be obedient and faithful. His job is to make you fruitful.

It always helps to keep perspective.

(C) 2010 by Stephen L Dunn