• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Would you like to support us?

Life Letter Cafe

Life Letter Cafe is an Encouraging, Uplifting and Refreshing ministry of Life Letter Cafe and our ministry partners.

  • Home
  • Life Letters
  • LIFE LINES
  • LIFE WRITERS
  • Writer Login

Mr. Rogers’ Advice to Discouraged Pastors

October 20, 2016 by Charles Stone Leave a Comment

Refresh Forward >>>Email this to someone
email
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Share on Tumblr
Tumblr

121 total views, 2 views today

Do the Best You Can
and Leave the Results to God…
 

That phrase may seem trite and a bit worn to discouraged pastors, but it’s filled with truth. In Christ’s parable of the talents, the master, representing God, gave responsibility to the servants, us, based on individual ability.[1] The story implies that some pastors have greater competencies and gifts than others. Similarly, Paul teaches that the Holy Spirit gives out gifts as He sees fit.[2] It’s obvious that the Spirit gives some pastors extra preaching or leading gifts, evidenced in the size and impact of their ministries. And when we don’t measure up or our church is not growing and we face discouragement, what can we do?

It’s easy to become discouraged when we do our best yet don’t see our church grow like others against which we or others may compare ourselves. When we wrap our identities around numerical results and the numbers don’t increase, the discouragement can overwhelm. This is especially true for older pastors who realize they may never achieve the dreams they had for ministry.

Author David Goetz wrote,

I often sat in the studies of both small-church pastors and mega-church pastors, listening to their stories, their hopes, their plans for significance. I deduced, albeit unscientifically, that often clergymen in midlife had worse crises of limits than did other professionals. Religious professionals went into the ministry for the significance, to make an impact, called by God to make a difference with their lives. But when you’re fifty-three and serving a congregation of 250, you know, finally, you’ll never achieve the large-church immortality symbol, the glory that was promised to you. That can be a dark moment—or a dark couple of years.[3]

 

 

In contrast to these struggles …

the late theologian Fred Rogers (of Mr. Rogers fame) recalled an experience he had when attending seminary. He wanted to hear a variety of preachers, so for a time each Sunday he visited different churches. One week he experienced “the most poorly crafted sermon [he] had ever heard.” A friend had accompanied him and when he turned to her, he found her in tears. She said, “It was exactly what I needed to hear.”

Rogers then told his audience, “That’s when I realized that the space between someone doing the best he or she can and someone in need is holy ground. The Holy Spirit had transformed that feeble sermon for her—and as it turned out, for me too.”[4]

Although the results from our best efforts may look feeble to some, they can touch a heart and change a life when we least expect it. This side of heaven we will never know the people we impacted through our faithful service.

Don’t give up our give in to discouragement. God is still at work.

What has helped you deal with discouragement?

Wish to refresh-forward
the encouragement of LifeLetter Cafe?

  • Add your comments and questions below
  • Help us build a new Cafe .. LEARN MORE HERE !
  • Bring the encouragement of the Cafe home to your inbox . . GO HERE
  • “LIKE” and comment at the Cafe Facebook page . . GO HERE
  • Come visit my blog . . GO HERE !

 

Photo:

Refresh Forward >>>Email this to someone
email
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Share on Tumblr
Tumblr

Filed Under: CHURCH, FAITH, LEADERSHIP

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get LifeLines The Cafe Devo By Email!

Sign Up

Share the Cafe!

Email this to someone
email
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on Google+
Google+
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Share on Tumblr
Tumblr

Find An Author

Archives


Support This Ministry

Prayerfully consider supporting this encouragement ministry to offset expenses. A donation of any amount is a blessing!

1 Christian Voice

1 Christian Voice

RSS 1 Christian Voice RSS Feed

  • Christian Actress in Broadway Musical Wicked: Q & A with Chelsea Emma Franko April 25, 2018
    Wicked, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz...before Dorothy dropped in. Likewise, there is more to Chelsea Emma Franko’s journey before landing a coveted role as a standby for Elphaba in Wicked. The post Christian Actress in Broadway Musical Wicked: Q & A with Chelsea Emma Franko appeared first on […]
    Beckie Lindsey
  • Vietnamese Meatballs April 24, 2018
    As of late, I have been enjoying traveling the world. Maybe not traveling as much as experiencing the world through the articles of people, places, and food found in Christopher Kimble’s Milk Street Magazine. And in my journeys, I have learned many things and found some great recipes. The post Vietnamese Meatballs appeared first on […]
    Patty Schell
  • Surrender Completely April 24, 2018
    God would have us to do as those little birds! Surrender completely to His power and love. He would have us to seek our safety in HIM. The post Surrender Completely appeared first on One Christian Voice.
    Dr. Jeffrey M. Miller
  • California’s Assembly Approves AB 2943—Religious Liberty May Be Threatened April 23, 2018
    On Thursday, April 19, California's Assembly approved AB 2943 by a 50-18 vote. AB 2943 bans books, conferences, and counseling advocating Christian theology of gender and sexual orientation, threatening religious non-profits, churches, and pastors who provide paid resources to help people practice their faith. The post California’s Assembly Approves AB 2943—Religious Liberty May Be Threatened appeared first […]
    Beckie Lindsey
  • UK Scraps Plan to Monitor Sunday Schools April 23, 2018
    In a move hailed by Christians in the UK, the government has abandoned its plans to register and monitor Sunday schools as part of its counter terrorism efforts, reports Evangelical Focus. The Evangelical Alliance United Kingdom (EAUK) issued a statement welcoming the government’s decision to scrap proposals that require the registration of settings that teach […]
    Joyce Dimaculangan
  • Museum on Persecuted Christians Opens in Japan April 22, 2018
    A museum about persecuted Japanese Christians opened on April 1, 2018 in a large Catholic church in Nagasaki. The Oura church, Japan’s oldest church, is also a candidate site for the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, reports Japan Times. The museum showcases various items related to early Christians in the Asian nation, including panels explaining […]
    Joyce Dimaculangan
  • Christians in Algeria Denounce Government Clamp Down on Religion April 21, 2018
    Christians in Algeria cry foul over the growing pressure against believers in the predominantly Muslim country. To promote and preserve Islam, the Algerian parliament passed a law in 2006 which governs non-Muslim worship. The law identified the codes of practice of religions other than Islam which includes a ban on converting a Muslim to another […]
    Joyce Dimaculangan
  • Egypt Extends State of Emergency a Year After Church Bombings April 20, 2018
    Two separate church bombings last year in Alexandria and Tanta prompted the government to tighten its security and safeguard its citizens against further terror attacks. The church bombings left 47 people dead and many others injured has prompted Egypt to extend, for another three months its nationwide state of emergency starting April 14, 2018, reports Egyptian […]
    Joyce Dimaculangan
  • Songs of Praise: Christian Rapper Sola Scriptura April 19, 2018
    In spite of our shortcomings, God blesses us daily with another chance to do it over, to get it right! That is why nowadays diverse genres, such as Hip Hop are finally being accepted in Christian music The post Songs of Praise: Christian Rapper Sola Scriptura appeared first on One Christian Voice.
    Astharte De Los Santos

About | Helpful Info | Statement of Faith | Life Writers | Life in Christ | Volunteer | Subscribe | Contact | Advertise | Guest Blogging
© 2013-2018 Life Letter Cafe · Site by Isaiah Design Co.