Your Pastor is human

Your pastor is human. Yep, that’s right, they are human. They don’t have wings or a halo or feet of gold or feelings that can’t get hurt. They have been called by God to do something that would scare most people to death, which is to minister to and help Christians grow in their faith, build a church, and reach out to the lost and share “thus saith the Lord.” In this world of change, where too few believe the Bible is God’s Word, every other week it seems there is a need to “re-define” this or “re-define” that, and your pastor’s calling is getting more and more difficult to perform.

Statistics tell us 97 percent of pastors have been betrayed, falsely accused or hurt by someone close to them, and 70 percent of pastors battle depression. Seven thousand churches close each year, and 1,500 pastors quit the ministry each month. Only 10 percent of all pastors will retire a pastor, and 80 percent of pastors feel discouraged. Ninety-four percent of pastors' families feel the pressure of the ministry. Seventy-eight percent of pastors have no close friends, and 90 percent of pastors report working 55-70 hours per week.

It’s not an easy job and your pastor works more than just on Sunday or Wednesday. Your pastor is actually “on call” 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Many times I have received a call for help at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and sometimes, our days don’t end until way late at night. They are also maintenance men, yard workers, and janitors when there is no one else to do those jobs.

So the next time you get a little disturbed or angry at your pastor, instead of flying off the handle and telling someone else, call your pastor, set up a time to meet and sit down and talk with them. I’m sure the door to their office swings both ways. And before you call them up to schedule a time to talk with them, maybe you should spend some time on your knees talking to God about them. That might be all that needs to be done.