The Faithful Church Member: Joy to a Pastor’s Heart

The Agony of a Pastor

The work of a pastor is both agonizing and incredible. It is often painful and glorious; filled with joy and mixed with sorrow. There is a humbling wonder at the amazing fact that Jesus has called us to rep resent him in our care of souls. There is a rapturous joy when sinners repent, when vices are forsaken, and when obedience triumphs over rebellion. But always, in every church this side of eternity, there are sorrows as well. Backsliding Christians returning to their vomitous sins, married couples forsaking their vows, immature believers being lured away by the enticements of false ideologies. In a church, all of these things are usually happening at once, and that’s partially why Paul said he was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10).

For many pastors, ministry is a kind of agony. This is what it was like for Paul. He wept constantly: with tears he admonished the be loved Ephesians night and day (Acts 20:31), with “unceasing anguish” he grieved over the lostness of his kinsmen (Rom. 9:1-3), with “anguish of heart and with many tears” he wrote to the church in Corinth (2 Cor. 2:4). Although he was a man of deep, unflagging joy, he also knew weakness (2 Cor. 1:9), knew his own inadequacy (2 Cor. 2:16), and suffered mightily for the gospel (2 Cor. 11:24-29). His heart was so wrapped up in the lives of the churches he served that he spoke of “daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28).

The apt analogy he used to describe his ministry was that of child birth: “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of child birth until Christ is formed in you!” (Gal. 4:19). I have five children, and I was there for each of their births. We’ve had relatively smooth deliveries, but they’ve never been easy. When it’s all over and we’re leaving the hospital, I am always struck by two twin facts: First, how agonizing, painful, and tenuous it was. And second: how incredible. And such is the life of a pastor.

The Joy of a Pastor

Paul derived much joy from his ministry. He constantly thanked God for the churches he served (Rom. 1:8, 1 Cor. 1:4, Phil. 1:3, Col. 1:3, 1 Thess. 1:2) and was profoundly thankful to God for the way God saved, sanctified, gathered, and empowered these churches for ministry. He was thankful to be a part of what God did among them.

That’s the way ministry is. Agonizing and amazing. Heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring. For the rest of this article, I want to focus on the things that bring a pastor joy.

Progress in Your Faith

Paul wrote that his desire was to remain and continue with the Philippians for their “progress and joy in the faith” (Phil. 1:25). All pastors long to see their people making progress in the faith. They’re not expecting perfection; that won’t happen on this side of heaven. But they hope and pray for progress. Small victories: New ways of thinking, new habits of righteousness, old sins put away, and new efforts toward obedience. If you want to encourage your pastor, tell him how you’re hoping to make progress in the faith this year.

Commitment to Your Church

Paul sometimes speaks of being “anxious” for the churches. He is concerned for their growth in health and holiness. He longs to know how they’re doing. When a church member is not committed, it’s easy for a pastor to get concerned. When a shepherd notices a wandering sheep, his attention is piqued. A red flag is raised. There are questions in his mind. When members are distant and isolated from regular fellow ship and communion, pastors are concerned.

An appropriate analogy would be the parents who are waiting for their teenage son to come home on a Friday night. They love him. They trust him. But until he gets home, they’re concerned. Be a church member who demonstrates wholehearted commitment. Be committed, and demonstrate your commitment in regular communication and full-life involvement. Committed church members bring joy to their pastors’ hearts.

Minister to Others

We have a lot of people doing ministry at our church. All of it excites me, but certain moments stand out above the rest as particularly encouraging to me. It’s when a church member quietly begins doing ministry, and I have nothing to do with it. It’s when the members start caring for each other without any involvement from the leadership. I’ll give you a few examples of this kind of thing from the last few months here at Grace Rancho:

• A lady chooses to read a book with a bunch of other ladies

• Two men begin meeting with a new believer on Friday mornings to read Scripture

• A couple visits an older widow

• A couple starts doing yard work for another older, newer couple

• A family brings a meal to a sick family

• A girl volunteers to babysit a young mother’s kids so she can get some rest I could go on.

The one thing all these things have in common is that they were not planned by leadership, but they originated in the hearts of church members who loved Jesus and wanted to serve his church. They were not prodded. They were not even asked. They just did it.

Pray for Your Leaders

I recently received a note from a church member that had a gift card and a note in it. I was thankful for the gift card, but it was the note that encouraged me. The note was simple– a couple of paragraphs expressing thankfulness for the teaching she’d received, and a sincere reminder that she had been praying for me and my family. If I had to choose between gift cards and prayers, I’d take prayers every time. The gift cards are certainly a joy - don’t get me wrong! They have funded many date nights. But the prayers are as real as bricks, and they are laying the foundation for all our fruitful endeavors. Our heavenly Father hears and responds to them with showers of blessings.

Serve with Joy

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in the faith” (2 Cor. 1:24). Paul’s aim was the joy of his people. He labored for their joy. And that’s what pastors desire most: to see their people satisfied with and delighting in the love of God. A pastor finds joy in his church’s joy in Christ.

There is no greater blessing for a pastor than a happy church. Conversely, there are no burdens so destructive as a grumpy and backbiting one. The pastor’s message is: “Delight yourself in the Lord, church!” (Ps. 37:4). He feels 3 John 4 in his bones: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Disneyland is called “The Happiest Place on Earth,” but I think the church should claim that title! We are the household of the living God, an assembly of the redeemed, and we’ve been guaranteed a glorious salvation. We should be supremely happy, and when the church is happy in God, the pastor rejoices.