Pastoral ministry is incredibly difficult. The challenges are insurmountable in our own strength. The discouragements are many. Having worked in a high stress field (i.e. criminal justice)… I can assure you… there is nothing quite like the stress of pastoral ministry.
If you are in pastoral ministry… or considering pastoral ministry… or want to understand some of the hardships and trials of pastoral ministry then read the following article by Barry J. Maxwell. Here is an excerpt:
“God has designed ministry to kill you. It killed Jesus and it will kill us. Paul spoke of his ministry perhaps more in terms of dying than living (2 Cor 4.11-12; Gal 6.17; Phil 2.17). He even lumped his concern for the churches in with the pain of imprisonments, beatings, starvations, drownings and muggings (2 Cor 11.23-29). Therefore, the pangs of discouragement are the sounds of a man giving his life away for God’s people. It’s the sound of man making his home in a cemetery, hoping that today will be the day life springs eternal. God will make sure Jesus is the only one left standing in the battle royal for souls.”
You can read the whole thing here http://barryjmaxwell.blogspot.com/2008/06/stoking-dimly-burning-wick.html
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