Key Verse: Verse 1 – “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.”
Key Words: that man was perfect and upright
I doubt that there has ever been a man who showed more patience than did Job.
- He was patient when accused before God by Satan.
- He was patient when tried by Satan.
- He was patient during his illness.
- He was patient when confronted by his wife.
- He was patient when accused by his friends.
Little wonder that we talk about having the “patience of Job!”
Ken Medema serves as a missionary in Africa. He has impacted millions for Christ. Ken, though, was born blind; but his parents never allowed him to use his blindness as an excuse from service or activities. They taught him to ride a bike, water ski, and do many other activities which are normally off-limits for the visually impaired. One day while attending Bible college, Ken accidentally bumped into another blind student. The other guy yelled out, “Hey, watch it! Don’t you know I’m blind?”
Ken did not rail back or even mention his own disabilities. He simply said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.”
The moral of the story is, “We all have occasion to be impatient with others, but we never have a right to use it.”
What to do:
✞ Do you ever require patience? Then give to others what is required from you.
Bible Reading: I Peter 5
Key Verse: Verse 2 – “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;”
Key Words: taking the oversight thereof
It is a situation that every pastor will face ranging from occasionally to often, depending upon the numerical size of the congregation he pastors. Have you ever heard the following sayings?
- Caught between a rock and a hard place.
- It’s a catch 22 situation.
- You’re cursed if you do and cursed if you don’t.
- You can’t win for losing.
To explain what I am talking about, let me give you some real situations which pastors have encountered.
The pastor and his family are ready to leave on vacation when he receives a call that one of the member’s great-aunt has passed away. The great-aunt, while not a member of the church, attended occasionally and contributed to God’s work. Her last dying wish was that the pastor preach her funeral. Now, the pastor has an emotionally expectant member looking at him on one side and an excited family looking at him on the other. The pastor is literally caught between a rock and a hard place. He is in a no-win position!
The pastor has family devotion and the evening meal set for 5:00 P.M. at home because he believes that a set time for the family to eat and have devotion provides a sense of organization and structure for his young family. He receives a call that a young couple in his church is in need of some marriage counseling and is asked to come quickly. You guessed it! It is 4:45 P.M. and he is due to be with his family in fifteen minutes. The children will see inconsistencies in what daddy preaches and practices if he doesn’t come, and the young couple in need of help will never forgive him if he fails to show.
My advice to young pastors is to establish a priority system and carry it out. He must learn that he will never please everyone. Now, there are some things that the congregation can do as well.
Be understanding. You are not the only one who requires both time and attention. Pastors can’t be in two or more places at one time.
Be flexible. Most pastors can help and will, if given a reasonable amount of time. Don’t demand “come now” but ask the pastor in the next couple of hours or even days if he would work it out in his schedule to visit you.
Be Scriptural. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Don’t ask of others what you would not want others to ask of you.
And last of all, be reasonable. In many churches the pastor has associates to assist him in their area of ministry. Because they come in his stead doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Let me assure you the pastors I know get reports from these men on a continual basis.
Now, if you need your pastor, call him. I promise you he will be there. It just may take him a minute or two.
What to do:
✞Pray for your pastor.
✞Let your pastor know he’s appreciated.
Dr. Mike Rouse
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