This has not changed from the time Peter wrote these words until today.
When: Until “the Chief Shepherd appears” - returning for his flock placed in your care.Ī pastor’s true calling, then, is to shepherd the souls of God’s people humbly, willingly, and eagerly, and to do all of this on behalf of the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.How: “Not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”.Who: The “flock that is under your care.”.“Be shepherds of God’s flock under your care until the Chief Shepherd appears.”Īnd in case you missed it, Peter is pretty clear about the who, what, when, and how of a pastor’s biblical calling. Peter’s exhortation to pastors can be summarized in a single sentence: And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. The only way a pastor can avoid these pitfalls and remain steadfast throughout his life and ministry is to know what God has truly called him to do - and to do it! The apostle Peter exhorts elders/pastors to be shepherds - to care for God’s people:īe shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them - not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. God is the one who calls pastors to ministry, and the specifics of that calling are clearly outlined in God’s word. The Pastor’s True Biblical CallingĪ pastor is not called to run programs for the masses, nor is he called to do it all and try to please everyone. Satisfying people becomes his way of measuring faithfulness, yet it will leave him feeling exhausted and empty. His ministry faithfulness and fruitfulness will be based on how happy his congregation is with his efforts, and while some will be pleased, there will always be people who are never satisfied. The congregation, whether directly or indirectly, largely determines how his time is spent. The pastor is now enslaved to the demands and needs of his church. This approach has its own dangers, though. They put an ambitious hand to the plow and hope that with enough effort they will at least please some people. On the other hand, some determined pastors recognize they can’t do it all, but they commit to pushing through the pain. Even with a smaller congregation, it’s not possible to pay a hospital visit after every surgery, attend every ball game, officiate every funeral, sit in on every committee meeting, accept every invitation to come over for dinner, participate in every church workday, and respond to every counseling request.ĭiscouraged, some stop trying altogether.Ī pastor may choose to focus more broadly on administrating large activities, managing busy programs, and overseeing the general functioning of the local church, leaving the “work of ministry” to others - or neglecting it altogether. In some cases, a pastor quickly realizes he cannot provide adequate care for his congregation, so he doesn’t. Their busy lives create additional tension in ministry, setting many pastors up for failure - even before they begin. And because a pastor is called to be involved in the lives of the people in his congregation, he must learn to juggle his own schedule with the hectic schedules of his church members as well. Those who pastor God’s people experience many of the same pulls, pressures, demands, and responsibilities as other Christians. We only slow down when crisis and sickness force us to take a break. Life in the twenty-first century feels like an unending rat race. For those of us who are Christians, we can add to the normal busyness of life our attendance at church and possibly volunteering in one of its ministries (or for another organization) once a week.
There are kids’ activities to schedule and guests to host. There is work that needs to be done, a family to care for, a house and car to maintain, friendships to cultivate, doctors to visit. This is the reality of our modern culture. 1 Peter 5:2, 1 Peter 5:4Įveryone is busy.
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them… And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
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