Three Important Lessons for Pastors

It is a great privilege to be a shepherd of God’s flock which He bought by His own blood. It is a great responsibility to lead God’s people. It is a great joy to love God’s family. Nevertheless, I have learned, if we are oblivious of our boundaries and ignore our limitations, there are certain inevitable pitfalls—such as disappointments, rejection, stress, burnout and failures.

In the few months of shepherding God’s church, I have learned many significant lessons. The following are just three out of them. I pray and hope that my fellow-pastors in God’s vineyard would find these lessons quite encouraging and helpful in their church ministry.

Lesson One—Who Is the Source?

As pastors, we have to be burdened to build the people of God. We should be concerned for their spiritual welfare. We must be passionate in serving them and equipping them for works of service. We ought to ponder over how to lead them towards spiritual maturity.

However, may we never forget—they are ultimately God’s church. It is God who bought the church by His own blood (Acts 20:28). It is Christ who is the head of the church (Eph. 5:23). It is Christ who builds His church (Matt. 16:18). It is God who makes things grow (1 Cor. 3:7). It is the Lord who sanctifies and preserves His church till the end (1Thess. 5:23).

Therefore, should we not helplessly throw ourselves completely in the arms of God to guide and lead us to direct His church? Must we not constantly seek His wisdom and direction to serve His people? Ought we not walk with Him in our effort to talk about Him to His children?

There is a tendency to think that the church belongs to us, that we are the head of the church and that the pressure is completely upon us to lead the people of God into spiritual maturity. If we walk with this perspective and attitude, I am sure we are going to bring insurmountable trouble, both on ourself and upon the church.

In our age wherein so many resources are available via books and internet, wherein so many church experts are existent, wherein so many of us are talented, knowledgeable and skillful—there is a danger of slipping off from humble dependence on God to our own detriment. Let no idols, however good, rise between us and God.

Now it is good to read books on how to lead the church, it is wise to learn from the experienced pastors and leaders, it is wonderful to have God-given knowledge and skills—however, we need to seriously take the words of Christ to heart, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Nothing means nothing. Only by our abiding in Christ and by our humble dependence upon Him that we will accomplish great things in His name. And when Christ had said it is He who is going to build His church, our responsibility as His servants is simply to work along with Him, not take His place to build His church. Teacher and writer, Warren Wiersbe, put it well:

The trouble with too many of us is that we think God called us to be manufacturers when He really called us to be distributors. He alone has the resources to meet human needs; all we can do is receive His riches and share them with others. [On Being a Servant of God, pg. 15]

Acknowledging our infinite need for the all-sufficient Christ, like Moses, may we continually crave His presence with us without which we cannot go ahead in leading His people (Exo. 33:15). Like Solomon, may we earnestly pray, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (2 Chro. 1:10) Like Paul, may we labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in us (Col. 1:29).

Let us remember that it is Christ Jesus who alone is the source of life and growth of the church, His people. 

Lesson Two—Who Is the Savior?

As pastors, people in our church look unto us as role models. They see us as counselors and guides who would help them overcome the challenges of everyday life. Whenever problems come, they approach us for prayer, counseling and help. And this is good, for it is our responsibility to watch over God’s flock and to help them live an overcoming Christian life.

However, may we always remember—we are not the saviors of people. We are not the deliverers of people from their problems. We are not the refuges for people to come and hide under us in their troubles. Yet, there is a tendency to think, both by leaders and the church, that pastors are messiahs.

Although it is necessary and biblical for pastors to counsel, help, pray and support people, we have to make sure we are there to represent God in situations, not to resolve problems by ourselves. We are there to direct people to God, to seek His face for His help, for He alone is our refuge and strength.

The Scripture says, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him” (Ps. 62:50). It is to this condition and experience that we, as pastors, are required to lead the people of God.

Just think for a moment—is it not an undeniable fact that we pastors have our own problems? We know we ourselves cannot overcome our own hurdles. Our lives are obviously dependent on the grace of God, on the wisdom of the Lord and on the power of the Holy Spirit to live victorious. How then do we suppose we can handle the problems of people and resolve them by our own knowledge and strength?

We need to know that we are broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Hence, we must lead people to the spring of living water, the author and perferter of our faith, to the One who alone is our unshakable rock (Jer. 2:13; Heb. 12:2; Ps. 62:6).

Remember, there is no wisdom and safety in the multitudes of counselors when the Wonderful Counselor is ignored.  

As an elder/pastor, I have learned two crucial things—engagement and disengagement. I have to engage in the lives of people to help them follow Christ in their everyday living, even amidst trials and temptations. Also, I have to disengage from the lives of people from becoming a center of their attention and dependence, so that they will learn to focus on God alone and depend upon Him for their sustenance.

Dear fellow-pastors, we have to guard ourselves and be careful in not letting people to completely depend on us for their spiritual growth and solution to their problems. We are their guides, not gods. We are messengers, not messiahs. We are lead-ers, not lords. We are shepherds, not saviors. We are resources, not the source. We are counselors, not life-changers.

Biblical counseling and helping is not about becoming experts in solving people’s problems; it is humbly seeking together the all-knowing and almighty God to give us wisdom and strength to cope with the challenges of life.

Let us remember that it is Christ Jesus who alone is the Savior of people from their sins and troubles.

Lesson Three—Who Is Sovereign?

As pastors, we wish people would listen and obey what we teach. We desire that they would submit to God-given authority. We expect that they would cooperate with us in ministry and live as responsible people.

However, the fact is—there is no utopian church and ministry. Not every person in the church is obedient, submissive and cooperative. Not every time people speak and conduct themselves responsibly.

There are people in the church who give us pain when we endeavor to do good to them. There are people who behave nicely before us but despise us behind. There are people who do not cooperate with us and are often lazy and negligent. There are people who are casual, irresponsible and ungrateful, even rebellious.

When we look at such people, don’t we get frustrated and disappointed? We feel pressurized and stressed. Should I mention even the times of sleepless nights? We feel like giving up on them, even at times the whole ministry too.

However, we need to remember that God is sovereign and He knows how to handle His people. He has been doing this since the beginning of His creation. He knows how to convict His people, change them and even punish them when they stubbornly refuse to submit to His word.

Yes, it is good to lovingly encourage people, admonish them, warn them and even discipline them. Yes, it is good to grieve over the sins of people and be concerned to help them live a holy life. Yes, it is good to take counsel from the veterans of church ministry.

Yet, we need to keep this fact in mind—God has His own way about how to take people through the process of change. We need not take the whole burden to change people and when they do not change, we need not wholly bury ourself under discouragement.

God is well aware of how to humble His people (Dan. 4:37). He knows how to discipline His children (Heb. 12:6). He Himself declared, "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand" (Deut. 32:39).

Considering God’s sovereignty and wisdom, let us leave room for God’s work in the lives of His people. When I read and reflect on the life of Moses, I observe that whenever the Israelites gave him trouble, the main thing he did was—he cried unto the Lord. And the Lord did intervene and uphold His servant’s cause.

Therefore, my fellow-pastors, let us pray more for God’s work in the lives of His people rather than worry more about how they live and change. Let us be patient and wait upon the Lord for His work rather than feel pressurized by people. Let us cast all our burdens upon the Lord rather than pile them up on ourself. Let us do our best to encourage, admonish and warn people—all out of love—and leave the rest to God to have His own way of accomplishing His will in their lives.

May the Lord give us His grace and power to serve His church with pleasure and patience!

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