Pastor, you exist to please Jesus and take care of His flock.
Jesus was very clear about His mandate for His Church. We are to make disciples. What a glorious privilege Jesus has given to us. Anyone and everyone who has been born again gets to follow Him in seeing people saved and becoming followers of Jesus! It’s super exciting, isn’t it? Discipleship is what we are all about. When we help people grow in Jesus, we are spot on with the heart of the Lord! Yet if we lose sight of that, we may stay busy, but we will slowly drift away from the heart of Jesus. We will drift into the unsettled waters of disobedience!
Pastors are called to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. There is really no question about that. Paul made it clear in his letter to the believers in Ephesus. The pastor’s role is not to do everything ourselves, but to invest in people so they grow strong, faithful, and useful in God’s hands. This is an important part of the pastor’s ministry.
Ephesians 4:11–12 (NKJV) “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
If we are open to the Spirit, we will experience many “discipleship moments” throughout the day. Why? Because discipleship happens in everyday encounters. Conversations. Corrections. Encouragement. Time spent together. Over time, we are either helping someone grow in Christ or missing a key and vital opportunity.
One of the dangers in pastoral ministry is forgetting why we are here. It’s easy to step into leadership roles and then gradually shift your focus to tasks, structures, problems, and even a title or position. When that happens, people become secondary, and you view the church as something to manage instead of the body of Christ to build and serve. Be careful to keep your eyes on Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:1 (NKJV) “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.
There is real joy in watching God raise up servants and leaders from within the body, isnt’t there?. Follow the example of Jesus and pour yourself into others. Don’t let ministry become a job to you. It’s not a job, but a joy. God’s high calling of a pastor is a gift to the church.
Jesus promised to be with us as we obey Him in this calling. We do not make disciples in our own strength. He supplies wisdom, endurance, and grace along the way. As pastors and leaders, may we keep returning to this simple truth. Make disciples as you learn to love people well. Equip them for the work God has prepared for them. Pastor, remember why you are here.
Adapted from the book, Sure and Steady by Pastor Ed Taylor. Chapter 19
