How To Encourage Your Pastor
Battle on the Frontlines
Thomas Watson once wrote that the Christian life is military. Being a Christian means you have taken up arms against the world, the flesh, and the devil as Ephesians 6:12 reminds us.
Paul charges us in Romans 8:13, ESV, to put our sins “to death” and not to take them hostage. Every Christian is at war against his sin, the world, and all the schemes of the Devil.
And pastors in particular can be likened to soldiers who are stationed out on the battlefield. He hears the bombshells, sees the casualties, trains men for combat, and storms the gates alongside his troop.
Pastoral ministry requires the pastor to die to himself in a unique way. And therefore, your pastor needs to be reminded of the sufficiency of Christ and to hear it from you.
Every day, your pastor is thinking about you, praying for you, and writing out lessons and sermons in such a way that they would apply to you and the congregation.
His schedule is happily consumed with ministering to the needs, fears, and burdens of the congregation. And, he often finds that his own needs (and that of his family’s) come thirdly in most cases.
The Bible commands us to encourage one another (Hebrews 3:12-13). How then can you encourage and support your pastor?
1. Praying for your pastor — one of the easiest ways is to pray for your pastor. Pray for his soul, his love for Christ, his faith in the Word, his family, his temptations, and his endurance in the faith.
What better question can you ask your pastor this week than, “Pastor, how can I specifically be praying for you?” Paul himself asked for prayer — how much more does your pastor need it (Ephesians 6:18-20; Colossians 4:2-4; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)?
2. Minister to his family — your pastor and his family need rest and care, just like you. Find ways to serve his family. Often times, pastors struggle against the ministry idolatry dominating their schedules and at-home time and they need rest.
Offer up to watch his kids so he and his wife can go out for dinner, bring them a meal to relieve his wife from cooking this week, or take a special interest in his kids.
3. Encourage his preaching — there is a difference between flattery and encouragement. After your pastor delivers his sermon, encourage him for preaching the Word.
And be specific when you find that the Lord brought your soul refreshment in a unique way this week. What text was encouraging, or what illustration, or what truth helped you?
4. Don’t be critical — there is nothing wrong with having preferences, even your pastor has one. However, it is best not to bring every preferential complaint to your pastor over non-essential and non-sinful issues.
Paul commands us to in humility count others more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:2-5). Refrain from grumbling against him in these areas and instead, speak life to his soul (Proverbs 18:21).
5. Give him good books — every pastor has a library, and almost every person has an Amazon account. Do your pastor a favor and listen to who he quotes from in the pulpit, or ask him who he reads or wants to read more of.
Pastors need to learn and glean from others before them (cf. Hebrews 13:7). Thus, send them robust books and heart-warming writings that have stood the test of time.
Books from Banner of Truth and Reformation Heritage do just that.
6. Send him to a conference — good preachers enjoy hearing good preaching. And in God’s providence, there are many helpful and encouraging conferences that meet yearly and bi-yearly that are worth the money for your pastor to spend a few days at being encouraged, hearing good preaching, singing with the saints, and buying more books!
Conferences like G3 Ministries, the Shepherd’s Conference, Sing!, and any IX Marks event are worth looking into for your pastor.
7. Take him out to lunch — and not just to talk to him about your needs and concerns (though he loves to hear and minister to his dear sheep). Instead, talk to him about his life.
Ask him about his family, his interests, his favorite sports team, etc. Your pastor is a man just like the rest of us, and it is good for him to enjoy time unplugged from ministry and not having to calculate responses to concerns.
8. Come to church prepared — arrive to church on-time. Come with a heart awakened to God’s truth and ready to receive it. Come expectant to hear from God after reading His Word and seeking His face that morning.
Bring your Bible, give him your attention, and sing aloud to the Lord as the Scriptures teach (Psalm 147:1; Colossians 3:16; James 5:19) so that God may be glorified and your pastor encouraged by your attentive spirit.
