Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Matthew 21.9
The Law of Inverse Proportionality states that the more excited a visitor is after their first Sunday the less likely they are to be attending one year later. In Jesus’ case, it didn’t even take a week. Of course, when his people gave up on him our Savior paid a much higher price than the discouragement we feel. The fact is folks are fickle and unaware of why exactly they like your ministry in the first place. Obviously, they know what draws them and what parts of the service and ministries resonate. What they don’t always know, however, is why they do, which can create real problems.
God sent his Son to minister to broken people. His Son sent you to do the same and broken people break things, including the pastor’s heart
You’ll inevitably fail expectations they didn’t even know they had until you don’t meet them. Jesus experienced that more harshly than any of us, but that doesn’t mean ours doesn’t hurt. It just means it’s not personal. God sent his Son to minister to broken people. His Son sent you to do the same and broken people break things, including the pastor’s heart. But, before you get too discouraged, remember two things. First, this is just part of the job. It always has been. Secondly, you’re no more aware of why you got into ministry than your average member is about why they’re at your church. So, take heart and remember that Jesus knew why he came and what to expect when he did.
(Mike is on Vacation for the next few weeks. We will continue to repost our favorites from the past few years)
