Imagine a goldfish, swimming around a glass bowl all day, his every move on display. No privacy.
Pastor’s families live in a fish bowl: everything they do is watched by the church—watched and judged. It is not easy.
Being in ministry means living selflessly. When you “put on the collar” people see you differently. Your gifts are taken for granted, and your failures are blown out of proportion. Now that you are set apart as a church staff member, you no longer stand out for the traits that got you there—few notice your kindness, selflessness, humility, cheerfulness, or hard work. All of it is taken for granted. And of course you never cuss, smoke, or watch dirty movies.
It’s expected: “Well, it’s easy for you—you’re a preacher.”
The preacher’s achievements belong to the Lord. Even his hobbies belong to the Lord. Imagine being a writer. A private person could write anything: crime novels, murder mysteries, even “sizzling” romance novels. But a preacher’s hobbies belong to God. And if he is successful—if he wrote the next LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, for example, he could not travel the world on a book tour, having his picture taken with celebrities. A pastor’s life is not his own.
The lives of Old Testament prophets belonged to God even more so. Jeremiah saw such devastation he is called “the weeping prophet.” Elijah ran for his life. John the Baptist was martyred. God asked Hosea to raise children with a prostitute. And Ezekiel’s wife was taken from him as a living parable for Israel:
“Then the word of the Lord came to me. ‘Son of man, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a fatal blow. But you must not lament or weep or let your tears flow….’ I spoke to the people in the morning and my wife died in the evening” Ezekiel 24:16,18.
God, thank you for the selfless pastors in our lives. Show us how to bless them, support them, and hesitate before criticizing them.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 