God Bless Our Pastors

God Bless Our Pastors by Betty Fritz

Being a Pastor must be the hardest, most demanding, job I can think of. Even if in charge of a fairly small congregation, the demands on a Pastor’s time would be more than most of us could handle. Being on call 24/7 is hard enough. How do they ever find time to prepare a sermon or spend time with their own families while taking care of ours? Most pastors I have known were easy-going, friendly individuals with a heart for people who seemed to enjoy what they do. However, like all leaders, they find that not everyone approves of how they run things and are often finding fault. Pleasing some of the people some of the time is about all they can hope to do….but then, pleasing the people is not their job exactly, is it? Pleasing and honoring God should be a pastor’s first priority.

Pastor’s are expected to be there when we have a problem. Many hours are spent at hospitals and funeral homes, consoling those who are sick or have lost a loved one. They have meetings to attend, souls to rescue and funerals to preach. This is not a job that just anybody could do. God must surely give super powers to those pastors who go above and beyond what ordinary men are usually willing or able to do.

Some pastors get excited and loud when delivering a sermon while others deliver the words more calmly. No matter how it is delivered the important thing is that the message they preach come from God’s word as it is written. I personally enjoy a sermon that makes me get excited about Jesus, look at myself and teaches me how to be a better Christian.  Some pastors seem to fear stepping on anyone’s toes or hurting the feelings of those they are preaching to. This should not be a concern. The truth is sometimes hard to hear but if it is to bring about change it must be told.

Along with the responsibilities a pastor has, we also, as his congregation, must meet our own. I love to hear an occasional “Amen” from my fellow worshipers. If we are to be a light in this world full of darkness, we need to get excited about Jesus and the fact that He and He alone can save us! It is up to us to pray for our pastors and other leaders that God will give them the message everyone needs to hear and the ability to touch hearts with their words…God’s Word.

How often do you see someone falling asleep during the worship service, children playing or people whispering back and forth? One pastor I know seemed to watch for these occasions and raised his voice accordingly. If we enter God’s house with the expectation of hearing from Him, more often than not we will receive the message He has for us. Psalm 100 tells us to:  “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…..Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing……Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.”

I hope you will join me in praying for our pastors as they go about the business of taking care of their flocks. May the Lord work through them to touch hearts and lead others to Christ. Take a good look at your own pastor, does he look tired, weary…have a few more gray hairs? A word of encouragement or a helping hand would surely be appreciated. We owe a lot to these dedicated people of God who spend countless hours praying and caring for us. God bless pastors everywhere and their families who share them with so many. Thank you for them and their service…and please keep them excited about Jesus!  Amen

About Betty Fritz:

My name is Betty Fritz. I was born and raised in Texas but have resided in Elkhart, Indiana for the last 25 years. My husband is a Hoosier so that’s how we wound up here. We have two daughters and a son plus 6 grand kids…..3 boys and 3 girls.

I retired last year after working for 24 years at Elkhart Child Development Center. I’ve been writing since a teenager and have taken several writing courses. I enjoy writing short stories. I wrote a book of poems, RHYMES OF THE TIMES, which was published a few years ago. I have written countless songs, a few for which demo recordings have been made. Recently I’ve been writing blogs..most of them about my faith and things the Lord has taught me in my Christian life over the last 51 years. My inspiration comes from my personal relationship with Jesus Christ and my desire to see that my grand children grow up in a Christian nation. My goal is to bring glory to Him and help others to see that there is POWER in the name of JESUS!

Pictured here is Pastor Richard Mansfield of New Beginnings Church in Albuquerque. I have heard people refer to Pastor Richard as “The Pastor of New Mexico,” and I understand why they would! He is a leader in our state!  The light of Jesus Christ so shines through this man of God! Amen!