Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the
things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.
Deuteronomy 4:9
Several months ago, I had to purchase four new tires for my car. The expense was disappointing because I expected the old tires to last longer. The tire salesman explained that my old tires would have lasted much longer if I had rotated them regularly and kept the tires properly inflated. It was an unfortunate, expensive lesson in preventative maintenance. It is far better to maintain something to avoid problems than it is to pay the price of neglect later.
For the pastor to succeed at his ministry, he must perform preventative maintenance to keep himself useful to the Lord. Jesus said that a branch that doesn’t bear fruit is good for nothing more than firewood (John 15:6). On the other hand, a branch that remains connected to Him, the true Vine, will continue to produce spiritual fruit. Unfortunately, like automobile tires, many pastors wear out and wear down in ministry. Consider these pastoral realities:
> A majority of pastors report working 55-75 hours a week.
> Many do not regularly pray with their spouse.
> A majority experience high stress.
> Many believe they are ill-prepared for their job.
> Some have considered leaving ministry.
> Some say they have no one they consider a “close friend.”
The landscape of ministry is littered with the lifeless bodies of men and women who felt called by God to lead, but in time, have gotten beat up, grown disillusioned, and lost a will to endure the difficulties of ministry. Apart from spiritual, preventative maintenance, the ministry leader will die. The purpose of this chapter is to encourage pastors to “watch themselves closely” (Deuteronomy 4:9) as they lead their churches.
Advice to a Young Pastor
As Paul neared the end of his ministry career, he gave words of wisdom to his young apprentice, Timothy, who was charged with continuing the apostle’s work among the churches: “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8). I memorized these two verses while in college, and the command has remained in my heart since. Pastors, “train yourself to be godly.” The Greek word gymnadze (“train”) means “to exercise.” It is the root word of the English word “gymnastics.” The Christian leader must maintain a regimen of spiritual exercise, which is far better than any physical workout.
Spiritual discipline has benefit for the present as well as eternity.
Four ministry disciplines will be discussed here for the ongoing spiritual care of the pastor.
DISCIPLINE #1
A Commitment to God’s Word
I’ve traveled all over the world to train ministry leaders. Every airline departure requires the same emergency briefing: the location of exits, the importance of seat belts, the prohibition against smoking in the lavatories. One special note is made that “in the event of a loss of cabin pressure,” oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling, and adult passengers are instructed to secure their own masks first before helping children. The point is that parents must ensure their own survival in order to help their children survive.
Pastors are spiritual parents. They must care for themselves in preparation for caring for their spiritual children, their congregation. The Bible is the leader’s “oxygen” that sustains them. Scripture is called “the Word of life” (Philippians 2:16) and that which preserves life (Psalm 119:156). Jeremiah found nourishment in truth and exclaimed, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight” (Jeremiah 15:16). The psalmist recognized the ability of God’s Word to protect and prosper:
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)
So, the growing pastor doesn’t just study and learn God’s Word for his congregation. He does it for himself. Among many ways to approach the Bible, there are several especially helpful ways the pastor can get into God’s Word: Reading, Meditating and Memorizing.
Read the Bible devotionally. There is a difference between studying the Bible and allowing the Bible to “study you.” The pastor often studies his Bible for the benefit of instructing others. But to read the Bible devotionally is to read it in such a way that I expect truth to get inside me and change me personally. The goal is not for the pastor to learn how a text will apply to others, but how the text applies to him.
Years ago, I developed a simple yet significant method for a devotional reading of the Bible. I call them “3 Living Questions:”
- What is God teaching me about Himself from this text?
- What does God wish to change in me from this text?
- What is God calling me to do in my world from this text?
3 LIVING QUESTIONS: AN EXAMPLE
These three simple Living Questions can be applied to any Bible text. They are easy to remember, but can yield great personal fruit. Read the following text from Mark 9:33-37 several times and ask the questions for yourself:
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
- What is God teaching me about Himself from this text?
• Jesus has authority to question me and call me to Himself
• Jesus is humble like a child
- What does God wish to change in me from this text?
• God wants to expose hidden ambition and pride in me
• God wants me to be a humble servant, like Jesus
• God wants me to “welcome” Him by welcoming the least
- What is God calling me to do in my world from this text?
• I must seek lowly opportunities to humbly serve as an expression of welcoming/worshipping God
My conclusion from a devotional reading of this passage is that I must rid my heart of pride and humbly relate to the least in my community because, when I do, I welcome the ministry of Jesus into my life and honor God in the end. In a short time, this passage has come alive! I can now begin to pray specifically about the lessons I have learned. Having personalized it and prayed about it, God’s Word will have an impact on my life and ministry.
The importance of these three questions will become apparent in the rest of the book Next Step Church. But for the pastor’s personal purposes, they provide a simple method for reading the Scriptures.
In the first question, I explore what God is revealing about Himself. The Bible is the story of God. It is God’s revelation of Himself and His work throughout history. So, every story, every prophecy, every poetic verse and every command is written to make known the person and purposes of God. God wants me to discover His holiness, sovereignty, majesty, faithfulness, power, wisdom, justice, grace and more. To read the Bible devotionally is to seek to know the living God better.
Next, I explore the change God wishes to bring about in me. God’s goal, as we will learn later, is the life change of His people. His Word is not only a revelation but a means to our transformation. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). The Word of God has power to shape and sharpen the Christian life. It has the power to reorient God’s people to right, spiritual living: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, every verse in the Bible is beneficial for changing my life.
Finally, I wonder what specific action God is calling me to. This is the missional purpose of the Bible. As the pastor is drawn nearer to the heart of God in “knowing” and is changed by the Holy Spirit of God (“growing”), he is moved by the mission of God into “going.” Devotional reading of the Bible results in an application of the truths of Scripture in my world. God’s Word moves a leader to great compassion, generosity, justice, grace and urgency.
Meditate on God’s Word deeply. Meditation is thoughtful reflection. As we read the Bible, we give the Bible time to “read us.” Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Scripture is surgical, cutting into the deepest parts of a person and convicting thoughts and intentions of our heart. This is the benefit of meditation.
Meditation suggests a mysticism that makes many Christians cautious about the discipline. But, the greatest leaders in the Bible understood the value of meditation. To Joshua, God commanded, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). The psalmist agreed, “Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.” (Psalm 119:97- 98). In the New Testament, Paul commanded Christians, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8).
There are many ministry benefits to meditation. First, meditation on God’s truth gives us God’s heart. The pastor begins to see, think and feel with God, cultivating greater urgency in ministry. Second, meditation makes the leader humble. The more we understand the infinite distance between our great God and our finite, fallen humanity, the more our pride is crushed. Third, meditation produces wisdom. Psalm 119:99 assures, “I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.” This insight, or wisdom, is indispensable for ministry effectiveness. Finally, meditation gives the pastor a message. There is a difference between a preacher who has something to say versus the one who just “says something.”
Through meditation, the pastor hears a message of God that must be communicated to God’s people.
In a busy, highly productive culture, meditation—thinking—may seem like a wasted experience. To yield the greatest fruit, meditation must be deliberate, determining a time, a place, a source and a record of our meditation. First, meditation starts with time. No one meditates in three to five minutes. Allow yourself 30 minutes to an hour or more. It will take time for the “noise” of the world, the pressures of the church calendar, and the distractions all around to fade so that you can begin to “hear the voice of the Lord.”
Next, you must find a suitable place. Mark writes, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). Jesus chose an early time and an isolated place where He would be undistracted for His time of quiet conversation with the Father. Find a place that is away from your normal routine. Leave the cell phone at home or turned off. Consider getting away from the city to a remote piece of land where you can appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.
To begin meditation, you must have a source. That is, you must have an object of your reflection. Eastern transcendental meditation teaches students to “empty themselves,” but biblical meditation teaches participants to “fill themselves” with the truth. Choose a passage of Scripture that will become your source, your food, your focus. Read the passage several times. You might consider writing it out by hand in a journal. Ask the 3 Living Questions above. In this exercise, you are having a conversation with the text.
Then, begin to wonder. What does the passage mean? What does each sentence mean? Each word? What is your favorite word in this passage and why? What do you not understand about this text? Why did God use this word instead of another? In what other passage of the Bible is this word or concept found? How could this passage change my life? How would it change others’ lives? Why is this truth important? What is another way this passage could be written? What power does this passage have for my life? Does this passage indict me? Does it set me free?
So many questions. Sometimes the answers will come quickly and, at other times, very reluctantly. Meditation is waiting and wondering and working at truth. The goal is not to create a sermon outline. The goal is simply understanding and greater connection with God as a result.
The final piece of meditation is a record. When you begin to sense God is speaking, write it down. Keep a journal of what you discover during your solitary time. I have a ministry partner who has kept a journal for many years. He writes his thoughts and prayers in blue ink and God’s responses in red ink. This method enables him to look back and see the fruit from his time with God.
Memorize God’s Word systematically. Among all of the essential spiritual disciplines—Bible study, meditation, prayer, fasting, solitude, writing, etc.—verse memorization is a discipline too often neglected. Yet, the pastor’s commitment to “hiding God’s Word in his heart” (Psalm 119:11) yields great dividends in his ministry. Consider these 10 benefits of memorization and how the immediate recall of spiritual truth could help your ministry:
- Increasing and inspiring the Christian’s faith
- Helping the Christian gain victory over sin
- Giving the Christian a foundation of correct doctrine
- Providing guidance to the Christian in making daily decisions
- Offering the Christian guidance in prayer
- Helping the Christian to understand in Bible study
- Filling the Christian with truth for meditation and worship
- Providing a worthwhile focus of time instead of wasting time
- Strengthening the Christian for witnessing and counseling
- Making the Christian effective in teaching and preaching
Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture…No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, p. 61).
Given all of the ministry benefits of verse memorization, it is surprising that more leaders don’t commit themselves to this discipline. Some complain that they “don’t have a very good memory,” while others argue that memorizing is “too much work.” Truth is, God wants the Christian to treasure His truth and will make it possible for almost any leader to succeed at the work of memory.
HOW TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE
For the pastor who wishes to begin, here are several helpful tips:
- Choose a text that is meaningful to you.
- Study the text to understand what it means. Comprehension will aid memorization. (Memorization will also aid comprehension!)
- Write out the text in a paraphrase, as an indication that you understand the general meaning and construction of the passage.
- Divide the passage into “memorable sections.”
- Write the passage on a small card, one line per section.
- Memorize one line at a time.
- Speak each line, section, verse out loud.
- Incorporate what you are memorizing into your prayers.
- Choose a time of day—the same time each day—when you will devote yourself to this discipline.
- Use the memorized text in your teaching, preaching or counseling where appropriate.
- Consider memorizing larger sections (chapters, books) because the context of succeeding verses will aid memorization.
- Repeat and refresh verses frequently.
To continue reading about The Pastor's Care and the remaining disciplines, see The Pastor's Care (2 of 2).