5 Reasons to Appreciate Your Pastor (coming from a pastor's wife)

October 11th was "National Pastors' Appreciation Day" and my heart is overflowing with reasons I appreciate MY pastor!

I appreciate the way he winks at me across the sanctuary.  I appreciate how stunningly handsome he is.  I appreciate the opportunity to check him out at the same time as I worship each Sunday...

Oh, did I mention?  My pastor is my husband.

Seriously, though, while the reasons above apply to me (and me alone) there are SO many reasons why you, too, can appreciate your pastor/s, Heritage:

1. He loves being your pastor. I am so grateful that the pastors in our church, "shepherd the flock of God... not under compulsion, but willingly... not for shameful gain, but eagerly" (1 Pet 5:2). My husband calls this his dream job and he means it. He comes home carrying your burdens, he talks about your joys and your troubles over dinner, and he longs to see you know God more.

2. He takes his calling as "teacher" seriously.  He does his best to "present himself to God... rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).  The week/s leading up to his sermon, he will pore over the text, scan the commentaries, scour books, and take in sermons on the subject. He values the 45 minutes you give him to convey God's living, active Word.

3. He is teachable.  Speaking for a pastor I know well (<3), he knows he is young.  He is aware of his immaturities- and he's aware that he has immaturities he's not yet aware of!  He longs to be pastored and discipled himself.  Be thankful if your pastor, too, is willing to (often) call up his dad for advice or admit he is struggling to a friend or weep over his sin!

4. He resists the urge to appear perfect.  We all want to be lauded, successful, and admired. It's easy for pastors to use the stage to show off their best angles.  But I see my husband and the staff at Heritage's willingness to resist the temptation to appear "together" for the sake of displaying the gospel.  This means sharing God's grace through their weakness- even the ugly, uncomfortable weaknesses that go beyond a laughable sermon analogy.

5. He is the same man at home as on stage. Deep character is perhaps the greatest reason to appreciate your pastor.  I know my husband may only be 26 years old, but he possesses twice the humility that most men possess at twice his age.  This is coming from "the wife" who sees his flaws and lives with his failures.  I don't intend in the slightest to exalt your pastor as perfect- he is far from it- but I can assure you my pastor loves Jesus- behind the pulpit on Sunday, alone on his back porch Monday, and helping me with the kids' baths and diapers Tuesday.

WAYS to appreciate your pastor:

1. Pray for him. We treasure the prayers of our brothers and sisters.  Pray for a God-filled, Spirit-blessed ministry.  Pray for continued grace and love for God's people as they minister to broken, messy lives  (and that they would remember that that is the point: we're broken, God redeems).  Pray for the temptations common to ministry (and any man, really)- pride, burnout, and lust.

2. Give him your attention.  As I stated above, he values the 45 minutes you give him to convey God's living, active Word. Please value the 45 minutes he's giving you.  It represents hours of study and, way more importantly, God's Word for you.  We're all guilty of getting distracted on a smartphone or whispering about lunch plans- but please- trust God is waiting to speak to you through your pastor.

3. Encourage him.  Now, my husband personally loathes empty compliments and flattery.  It makes him want to bee line it to the back door.  BUT when God genuinely used him to speak life into your heart, briefly convey this to your pastor, whether through conversation, text, or email.  The devil hates when the gospel is preached and makes it known through condemnation and critiques toward preachers before, during, and after their sermons.  You may be blown away at how appropriate and powerful a message was, while your pastor is kicking himself for "blowing it".

4. Criticize him... for the right reasons.  You heard me right. My husband and I wonder at the fact that his worship sets receive complaints almost weekly, while he can count on his fingers the amount of times he's received critiques for his sermons.  This isn't because he is a terrible worship leader, nor is he a flawless preacher (Personally, I think he's incredible at both;)..). It's because our tendency as humans is to sit stewing the whole sermon about how the volume needs tweaked, rather than thinking critically about the presented text.  Pastors love questions and challenges coming from a loving heart... They want to be accountable for the words they speak- plus, it means you were actually listening.

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I know that pastors are but men. And I strongly believe that ministry is no higher calling than any other vocation God has called you to.  I realize I'm running the risk of sounding like a Pastor's Wife desperate for recognition for my family.  Or taking advantage of a chance to wave the my-husband's-better-than-yours banner...

In reality, I could cry thinking about the love and appreciation our congregation has shown my husband and our family.  I am also deeply humbled to stand by my husband's side and to serve under all the men who lead our church.  I just thought you should all know that, coming from "the inside", you are greatly loved and cared for.

So from the bottom of an overwhelmingly grateful Pastor's Wife heart, take some time to appreciate your pastor! And I will too;)

To my most wonderful best friend, husband, and pastor... thank you for leading our family- on Sunday, and the other 6 days of the week.
To the staff at Heritage, thank you for redeeming my idea of "the ministry" and those therein. I truly, deeply appreciate you all!