Ministers are Human

My book Fresh Fruit Meditations on the Fruit of the Holy Spirit can be ordered from Amazon, Goodreads.com and other online bookstores.  Also available at Christian Bookstores and through their catalogs or on Kindle.  Thank you. Jennifer Chamberlain

“‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15)

The ministers over our churches are human and as such, are not perfect. It would be beneficial for us to remember that although we all minister to the world, we are not all called by God to preach His word and oversee His church. Overseeing a church is like being CEO over a corporation. There is more to it than just preaching on Sunday mornings.

God has called all of us to do the work of ministry.  He has called some to be apostles who in Christ’s time were important teachers and He has called some to be prophets, or people regarded as God-inspired teachers or proclaimers of His will. Evangelists are people who seeks to convert others to the Christian faith, especially by public preaching (usually outside the church). And shepherds and teachers work in the church educating the members and non-members about the scriptures.

But our church Ministers are men and women who work tirelessly in a non-profit organization where they are required to know about finances, fund raising, counseling, teaching, children, youth, young adults, adults, and seniors. They perform weddings, baptisms, dedications, funerals and preach a message almost every week that must be interesting and engaging. They must work with a board of directors, worship team, and all other staff. They are on call 24/7 and they must be nice and have a good sense of humor.

When they don’t do things the way we want them to, or smile brightly and call us by name as we leave the church, we complain. We complain about what they do, what they say, what they preach about, and how they treat us or don’t treat us. When we are tempted to complain or feel what we consider righteous indignation, let us remember to keep our focus on what God is doing not what our Minister is, or is not doing. This is a temptation of the devil to bring division in the church.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

Ministers are human. They will fail. They will not feel equally about every aspect of the church or even every person.  Some will feel passionate about children but not about missions or outreach. Some will put a lot of effort into teaching about the Bible, but not so much on preaching messages about our daily lives. As humans we all have things we are more interested in and things we don’t really care about. Ministers are the same.

As humans, we have days when things are going well and days when we feel down or tired.  Ministers are the same. We worry about our families, finances, or our car repairs. Ministers have the same issues and yet we expect them to always be ready, willing and able to meet our needs.  We expect them to listen to our complaints and have all the answers. We want their full attention when it is convenient for us.

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1Thessalonians 5:12-13)

It is important to realize the increasing burdens being borne by our Ministers and make sure we are not one of those burdens. When we have a need, we should find a reasonable time to request counsel or aid. Mature Christians can give our Ministers support and make sure that we are not taking their time away from young Christians who really need their attention.

When we disagree with something that is going on at the church or with a policy, we can bring that to a board member. We don’t always have to bring everything to the Minister. Most importantly we must always speak positively about our Ministers to others so that we are not the cause of any division or gossip within the church by which some may fall away from God.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1)

Ministers are held to higher standards than those of us in attendance. That is why they only become Ministers if they truly feel that God has called them. If they are not called of God, they will surely fail and be miserable at the same time.

We can help our Ministers by praying and encouraging them. Be aware that the life that knocks us down can knock them down as well. They are human. They have personalities, likes and dislikes, and ideas that might not align with our own. But they are called of God and we are told to respect and esteem them. Let’s do it.  

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. (1 Timothy 5:17)

Prayer: Father thank you for those you have called to be Ministers over the churches. Thank you for their dedication, love and all the work they put in. Help us to be supportive and to remember to pray for them as they deal with all of life’s ups and downs in addition to everyone else’s ups and downs. Give them strength and wisdom. Give them eyes to see those who really need them and may be feeling neglected. Take away any feelings we may have of being ignored or any frustration with the way the church is run. Let your Holy Spirit fall heavily upon each of your anointed Ministers. Amen.