The Pro-Aging RevolutionSample

Day Six - Encouragement, Part 2

On your list of people to encourage, I hope you will put your pastor somewhere near the top of your list. I know that many people have challenging jobs, but being a pastor carries with it a unique weight of responsibility - the burden of caring for God’s people. Encourage your pastors; they need it more than you realize.

When my wife and I went to pastor our first church, I was thirty and Janice was twenty-nine. We were, by far, the youngest couple in the church. I had never been a Lead Pastor before. We were hundreds of miles away from our family, friends, and mentors and we were totally out of our depth. It had all the makings of a ministry disaster - except for one thing. That dear congregation adopted us as their children. They showed us great grace and patience and they encouraged us to become what God had called us to be. And it worked! With God’s help and encouragement from God’s people that little church made a lasting impact in that community. Never underestimate the power of a timely word of encouragement!

One of the things that I am most excited about in this time of my life is the opportunity to get behind young people who are on fire for God and doing something about it. I have the privilege of leading a School of Ministry for those who feel called to make a difference for God and desire to prepare for whatever He may call them to. In my role, I get to teach and lead, but mostly I get to encourage. It’s amazingly rewarding.

Today’s Prayer: “Father, I lift up my pastors to you in prayer today. I thank you for the gift they are to your church. I ask you to bless them with wisdom, encouragement, faith, peace, and joy. Strengthen their hands and shield their hearts. Show me ways I can be a support and an encourager to them, so that your church may thrive and your kingdom prosper. Amen.”