Roughing the Pastor

Repost from todays "Our Daily Bread".

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the Word and doctrine. —1 Timothy 5:17

I was at my grandson’s eighth-grade football game when the referee indicated there was a penalty and stopped play. Apparently, after the ball was thrown, the boy who passed it was tackled, prompting a penalty flag. The announcer from the press box said: “There is a flag on the field. The penalty is roughing the pastor . . . I mean, roughing the passer.” As soon as he said it, I thought to myself, God could give that penalty to some churches today!

It’s not that pastors are perfect. If that is what we are looking for, then pastorless churches would be the norm. It’s that God calls on us to honor those who lead us spiritually, particularly “those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17 ESV). In my opinion, pastoring is one of the hardest occupations on the planet. We live in a sophisticated, fast-paced, and complex world, and our expectations for “high-performance” pastors often set the bar at unattainable heights.

So, let’s switch the focus and become high-performance church members who honor our pastors with words of encouragement and prayer. A supportive note or a “thank you” in the foyer will go a long way to stimulate pastors to serve with joy and efficiency. —Joe Stowell

Lord, help us to appreciate
The work that others do,
The service given from their hearts,
Their sacrifice for You. —Sper

Don’t be rough on your pastor— pass along some encouragement today.

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Can I just add that this should be applied to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ? I'm currently observing a situation where a fellow saint has made poor choices and fallen into sin. Sadly the mass majority of their "Christian" friends are sitting on the sidelines watching it like they would a train wreck. I have gotten involved at the risk of losing our friendship.

To many Christians today are a bunch of pansy ass wimps! Stand up and fight the good fight!!

You're not perfect so why assume everyone else is? You appreciate encouragement, support and correction. What makes you think anyone else would be any different??? Oh yeah, and the Bible instructs us to do these things.

Jude 22-23 has come to mind countless times as I stand beside my friend that is sinning. "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

Where is the SNATCHING these days??? Are you living your life on your own secluded delusional island or are you becoming an active soldier in the war against the devil??