October is Pastor Appreciation Month.
In a previous post (you can read it here), we highlighted a pastor’s calling by building on selected verses from 1 Peter chapter 5.
A pastor’s responsibility is to shepherd God’s flock and do everything he can to make sure the flock under his care gets home to heaven.
How?
Our pastors point us to our Savior who lived a perfect life and bled and died for us. Our Good Shepherd. Jesus came down to earth because his love for us drove him. What wealth did he gain? Nothing. What did he give up willingly? His precious blood. That’s why he came. That’s what it would take. Jesus came to save sinners. You, me, pastors—all sinners—saved by God’s grace and wearing Jesus’ robes of righteousness.
God calls sinful men to share that message of love and forgiveness with others, the same love and forgiveness that God has shown to them. That’s what our pastors do for us. That’s how they serve God and us as our shepherds.
So how about us? What’s our responsibility?
Well, as God’s flock, our responsibility is to do everything we can to help our shepherds carry out their work faithfully.
What does that look like?
It’s doing everything we can to help make our pastors’ work a joy and not a burden—not something to be done out of obligation or wearied resignation. It’s making sure our pastors can focus on their work without having to be concerned about financial burdens. It’s honoring them as God’s representatives and listening when they speak, recognizing that they speak with God’s authority.
It’s knowing that they’re sinful men and taking their words and actions in the kindest possible way but also holding them accountable as fellow children of God. Giving forgiveness when needed—and then encouraging them to get back up and keep leading us on. It’s praying for our pastors because we love and care for them. It’s letting them know that as well!
We need them and they need us. Because we know our goal as all of God’s children: getting home. Together. Shepherds and sheep alike—one flock. And getting home, well, that isn’t exactly a Sunday stroll in the park in this sin-darkened world. There are distractions to delay us, false roads to mislead us, dangers around every corner, wolves waiting in shadows to bite at us, temptations to ensnare us, and the devil prowling about, roaring and looking to swallow us whole.
Will we make it unscathed? No. That’s not how we get through this dark valley of life here on Earth. And yet, by God’s grace—and God’s grace alone—we’ll get there. We’ll get home.
How?
By holding onto the living hope. By holding onto our Savior Jesus. Together.
[As you think of ways to show your pastor you appreciate him, consider purchasing him an e-gift card for theological books and resources of his choice from Northwestern Publishing House.]
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.