It's so simple ... why can't we see it? It's like all of those other supposedly unsolvable problems; it's so close, so obvious, so ignored that you really can't believe it's a problem. Really?
To me there are two basic tenets of Christianity. The first one, the key, it to believe in, love and trust Jesus Christ completely and selflessly. The second will come naturally, even without effort, if you follow the first. For a natural reaction to following Christ is to love; love others, love yourself, love the Lord. For today's topic, we'll focus on loving others.
So, who are the others? Can you pick and choose who you decide to love? Jesus never gave us that option. Actually, it would always seek out the outcasts; the sick, the poor, the disabled, the disfigured, the forgotten, the ones nobody wanted to be around.
At the same time, Jesus never left behind those who knew Him, served Him and followed Him. The Apostles were never left completely on their own. People always saw to it that their needs were met. They worked tirelessly for the Kingdom, and Jesus knew they were vulnerable, just as much, if not more, than the believers. Jesus never abandoned them; He took care of them, and instructed His followers to do likewise. And this brings us to my point.
The work of a pastor is difficult, and many pastors are burning out and leaving the ministry. It's surprising to learn that it's not the normal, day-to-day pressures of leading a congregation; the teaching, preaching, visiting, funerals, weddings, comforting. It might surprise to learn that the reason for most burnout, and people leaving the ministry, is the usually small faction of the congregation who are "hell bent" of hurting their pastor. Tomorrow we'll learn about what happens, why it happens and what can be done about it. Believe me, people, it is a major problem, but one that can be stopped dead in its tracks by being the person that God created, and that Jesus commanded. See you.
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