Paul spoke of bearing "every day the load of my concern for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:28, NCV). Jared Wilson says something similar here:
The work of a pastor is difficult. Very few Christians lose sleep over the state of their church, the spiritual health of the body, the collective faithfulness or unfaithfulness of the congregation. But pastors do. This is something very few people who aren’t pastors can understand, isn’t it? While pastors carry the weight of their own struggles, and likely the weight of the struggles of their friends and family, they also carry the weight of the struggles of an entire church. They are responsible for more; they are accountable for much (Jared Wilson, Gospel Wakefulness, p. 192).Forgive how this may sound, but I truly believe those who are not or have not been pastors can't understand this burden pastors carry every day.
Thanks Hoss. Really encouraging stuff there.
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