Pastors have difficult jobs but few understand just how hard the role can be.
Its easy to sit in church on Sunday and assume your pastor has it all together. Few of us see what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Mandy Smith, writing in an online blog, points out nine secrets pastors keep about their profession. Here they are:
- They Feel Pressure to Live up to Your Expectations
- It’s Hard for them to Tell You What You Need to Hear
- They Put a Lot of Pressure on themselves
- They Long to Know they’re Making a Difference
- Many Struggle Financially
- Church Life Can Be Hard on their Kids
- the Work Is Emotionally Draining
- they Have Needs Too, and they are Often Lonely
But Smith says although there are many things pastors feel they can’t tell their congregations, there is one big thing every pastor does share: the message of their own life of faith.
Beyond their preaching or praying, the most powerful message they present to us is the example of a life lived by following God.
Like all disciples, each pastor has a unique way of following Christ. God has gifted each congregation with the unique blend of traits embodied in their pastor. These are blessings the congregation may not see or appreciate.
So Smith writes, while those in your congregation may not be fully aware of the common stressors each pastor deals with, remember that pastors are not called to be God but to model what it looks like to follow him.