AN OLD PASTOR’S POINT OF VIEW
Jesus speaking to His disciples after the busyness of preaching the Gospel to the many that would hear. “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat (Mark 6:31).”
YES, WE NEED TO REST
That’s the favorite scripture we preachers use after a busy schedule of ministry. We want to rest from all the care of ministry. Our minds need it and our body cries out for it; it is human to become weak and tired, and it is not wrong to desire a rest and to prepare for it. However, in the above scripture, Jesus knowing all things, must have known this would not be a physical rest.
I have often wondered, why did Jesus advise them to rest, knowing they would not find rest? But instead they found more people with greater needs and Jesus had compassion on the hungry hearts and saw them as sheep without a shepherd and began to teach them. Everywhere they went they were with those that needed to be ministered too; read the rest of the chapter.
“And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole (Mark 6:56).”
This must have taken supernatural strength, rather than weak human strength.
THERE IS SUPERNATURAL STRENTH
W. Tozer wrote the following; “It is possible to work far beyond the normal strength of the human constitution and yet experience little or no fatigue because the energy for the work has been provided, not by the burning up of human tissue, but by the indwelling Spirit of power.”
It is true that preachers suffer nervous breakdowns and weaknesses which others probably do not understand. It is not an easy job, even when relaxing at home, you are not resting – your mind and heart are with the people you have been called to pastor. You cannot get away from it. You suffer, and your family suffers because you do.
Elijah, after the great meeting on Mount Carmel, had a nervous breakdown, laying under a Juniper tree, wishing to die. That was because his human strength was gone after his preaching was over. However, there came another strength, a second supernatural strength that overcame his human weakness.
As he slept, an angel touched him saying, “arise and eat” and there was supernatural food and drink prepared for him. Twice he was awakened to that which gave him supernatural strength because the journey was too great for him. He could then go on the strength of that spiritual food for forty days and nights to Horeb the mount of God (1 Kings 19:5-8).
TO PREACHERS AND PASTORS
As preachers and pastors of this glorious Gospel, we need rest like everyone does but let us not be cheated out of our spiritual heritage either. Always remember, we cannot do spiritual work with the strength of our natural abilities, you will fail and perhaps quit as Elijah wanted to do. God has provided supernatural energies for the supernatural work He has called us to do. If you constantly do the work of the Spirit without the Spirit’s enabling power your work becomes something other than the power of God.
Your own body is subject to the stress of NORMAL ministry as a preacher and especially pastors who live with the sheep. Ask the LORD Jesus to give you strength beyond your human abilities to do His work. I believe He will.
NOTE: I realize you can think of many exceptions to what I have wrote, however I am writing about my own experiences as a pastor. And the EVERYDAY experiences you go through as a servant to those you have been called by God to serve.
Pastor Bill Ivy – Living Word Tabernacle, Campbell Missouri USA