Being the Hands and Feet our Pastor Needs

Exodus 18
13 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
14 And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
15 And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
16 When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
17 And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
22 And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

To get an idea of how your pastor feels, here is a challenge for you, as Christians and church members:

Choose ten people you know who are in need of something. It could be someone going through a bad relationship, someone who is homeless, someone who is ill, someone who is just struggling to make ends meet, or someone who is simply "lost". There are numerous needs out there that are not mentioned here, as well. If you have ten people you know who are lost, I would start there.

Make those ten people your "project".

In other words, reach out to them as often as possible. Call them just to say hi. Be there when they have need of someone to talk to. Stay on your knees praying for them. Minister to them. Show them the love of Jesus. Invite them to go to church with you. Take opportunities to talk to them about Jesus (just be careful not to "choke" the Word so that you drive them away rather than draw them to you).

Believe me, ten people will keep you busy. And, if you want to help ease the burden of your pastor, choosing ten people in need in your church is an option. You help with the smaller matters, and when there are larger matters you can't help with, you take it to the person who is over you in your church (a teacher, a deacon, someone below your pastor who is helping ease the burden...). If they can't help, then they can take it to the pastor. If he can't help, he then takes it to God.

It is up to us as a church to help our pastor prevent burnout, and to be the church that God has called us to be. As a church, we shouldn't expect to go to church, hear a sermon and go home and forget about it. If that little homeless girl that showed up for church catches your eye, you shouldn't just shrug her off and say, "the Pastor will handle it...I'm sure if there is a need, he will address us."

Our church has over 350 members in it, and all of them have a need of some kind. There is no way our pastor is able to handle that many people. We are not members of an insurance club. We are a church. This means that, as individual members of the church, we are called to be the hands and feet of God. It is not right to expect the pastor to be God.

We need to remember that our pastor is human. He has problems just like any of us do. He has needs just like we all do, and he depends on us, as ambassadors of God, as much as we depend on him as the leader of our church.

So, while we are on our knees praying for our pastor, we also need to stand up, take a step forward and be the church that God has called us to be.

If this has inspired you, please share it!