Today, I have been a pastor for exactly 30 years.
I have a profound sense of joy. Joy at the privilege of being a preacher of
the Gospel and God’s Word. Joy at how I
have seen the Lord hold fast on to me, when dangers, toils, and snares were within
me and all around me. Joy to see God at
work and to see glimpses of His glory.
Joy to witness people place their faith in Christ alone for eternal
life. Joy for the way God’s people have
allowed me to share in their lives. Joy
for the way that God’s people have been the vehicle of God’s supply to my
material needs. Joy for the
opportunities to encourage God’s people in His Word in distant lands. Joy for a wife who has built up a sometimes
broken husband with remarkable grace and fullness of the Spirit. Joy for children who love the Lord Jesus AND
love His church too.
Here are some verses that I have thought about today, as I
thank the Lord for the privilege of being a pastor:
Luke 17:10--So you
also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy
servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
2 Corinthians 3:5 Not
that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but
our sufficiency is from God,
2 Corinthians 4:5-6 For
what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as
your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light
shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6:9 And let
us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not
give up.
When I first became a pastor, I looked too young for the
job. Today, I look too old for it. However, there does come a freedom with
that. As Charles Spurgeon once remarked,
“My good looks are gone, and none can damage me much now.”
For all whom I serve or have served as your pastor, I thank
the Lord. Onward to the next 30 years,
as the Lord wills. :)
