Joe McKeever tells a story of Joe Cothen, a retired pastor and seminary educator, and his two brothers, both Baptist ministers. Their father was a Baptist minister as well. Dr. Cothen recalls the day his father sat all three boys down to give them some wise counsel. “Boys,” he said, “the Lord has put a delicate balance in His church. He put just enough headstrong, ornery members there to keep you, the pastor, humble. And He put just enough sweet, godly saints there to keep you from quitting.” Dr. Cothen stated that in every church he ever served, he found both groups.
A Great Life Lesson for Pastor Appreciation MonthThe issue is where you focus. If you focus on the negative group, the critics and naysayers, you will become discouraged and want to quit. If you focus on the positive, supportive group, you run the risk of a ballooning ego. Either way, you are unsuitable for God’s use. The key to success is to keep your focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. Not ambition or position, money, or size. Not education, influence, prominence, or retirement. Focus on the Lord JesusChrist. According to the prophet Isaiah, the result will be “perfect peace.”You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3)
