We all know the blessings of being in pastoral ministry – the blessing of knowing that your life is spent for the gospel, using your gifts, meeting wonderful people, receiving people’s encouragement, and seeing changed lives. We can’t achieve these things, though without paying a price.
In John 12, Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it stands alone. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” The “Law of the Harvest” is simply this: If we want to be productive for Jesus, there will be pain and dying. I have learned there are specific costs to being a leader. Here are five prices of pastoral leadership.
1. The price of people’s projections. Some people will project onto us negative feelings from authority figures in their past.
2. The price of being a lightning rod. As leaders, when we make decisions, people may become angry with us.
3. The price of displeasing people. If we live to please people, we become slaves of our people. Instead of one master (Jesus, whose yoke is easy), we end up with numerous Pharaohs.
4. The price of unrealistic expectations. Leaders will face unrealistic expectations, both other’s and our own.
5. The price of fatigue. Following a conference or weekend of ministry, I will be subject to spiritual attack and feelings of depression. For ministry to go forward, some people must be willing to say, “I will pay the price of pastoral leadership.”
