I Thessalonians 3:2
“and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s minister in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;”
The second job of the pastor is to aid in bringing comfort. This is often called pastoral care. The name pastor has an instructive meaning, shepherd. A shepherd knows his sheep. They could be needy, unaware, healthy and so on.
The pastor is patient with the needy ones. He can also get an associate to help. He can attempt to get that one involved in a social group. The unaware ones walk amongst the wolves with no knowledge. They have blind spots. The shepherd has to protect and show the danger.
The ones that tend to be more taxing are those who stir up trouble. Some like to gossip. This is dangerous as feelings get hurt and divisions are formed. This can be like diffusing a bomb.
Another challenging group are those involved in sexual sin. Our culture has lowered standards so that biblical morality seems old fashioned. TV and the media glamorize and normalize premarital sex. Many people go this route and get diseases, perverted behavior, and risk sexual satisfaction in their future marriage. The pastor holds the line on biblical behavior and counsels those in need.
There are those that have trouble with the bible as the authority. They can come up with odd interpretations. The pastor needs to be sure these don’t lead others astray. Sometimes the pastor needs to ask one to leave. If their behavior is dangerous to the health of others and they aren’t willing to change, then it’s not a good fit.
Fortunately, there are deacons and assistant pastors to help. Depending on the size of the church the workload can be huge. They are in need of our gratitude and support.
Lord, thanks for the wonderful pastors you have given us. Help them with this load.