A Pastor’s North Star

Daily refocusing the pastoral mission through five Biblical targets

I often sit at my desk not knowing what to do. It’s not that there’s nothing to do, rather that there’s so much to do that I don’t know where to start. Whenever this happens, I need to stop and remind myself that my job description, as a pastor, wasn’t created by my elders nor the search committee that hired me, rather it has been given to me by the God whom I serve. God’s Word gives several clear and concise statements describing what a pastor should do day in and day out.

When overwhelmed at the size of the pastoral task, refocus your calling by aiming at five Biblical targets.

1 | Pray

Acts 6:4 – “… we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word”

God has called fickle and faltering humans to lead other fickle and faltering humans. Pastor, you do not have what it takes to effectively shape and steward human hearts. Remember this, and turn regularly in dependence to the Lord in prayer. Ask him to give you wisdom, patience, resilience, endurance, and joy in the work. Ask him to give your people faith, growth, conviction, zeal, humility, and the fruit of the Spirit. Time spent in prayer is not wasted, rather it focuses and fuels a faithful ministry.

2 | Preach

2 Timothy 4:2 – “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

A pastor is rarely more than seven days away from standing to perform his primary act of discipleship. Preparing to proclaim the gospel is a labor that will pay dividends over the decades. Time spent preparing to preach is not wasted. Labor over the text, it’s a labor a love.

3 | Shepherd

1 Peter 5:2 – “… shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly…”

Pastor, your church isn’t primarily your flock, it’s God’s flock.Yet, in his mercy, God has given you the privilage of serving as his “undershepherd.” The work of shepherding his flock includes feeding, nurturing, and protecting. It requires that we know his sheep, that we feed them his truth, that we protect them from error, and that we lay down our lives for his flock, hour by hour, just like the good shepherd did for us all. Time “wasted” amongst the sheep is not wasted, it’s the essential labor of an elder.

4 | Equip

Ephesians 4:12 – “… equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…”

Essential to the health and mission of the church, is a people who are equipped and released to do the work of the church. Your pastoral duty is to make every effort to prepare your people to serve one another and to shine the light of Christ into the darkness. Time spent preparing the heads, hearts, and hands of your people is not wasted, it’s necessary for the church’s health, growth, and mission.

5 | Model

1 Timothy 4:12 – “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

Endeavor twice as hard to be the person you desire to seem. You are to be a living example for your people of what a Christlike person looks like. When considering what your day should look like, perhaps the best question a pastor could ask himself is, “What would I hope to hear a member of my church did with their time?” This will lead you to prayer, mission, discipleship, reading, writing, etc. Time spent endeavoring to live the life you preach is not wasted, it’s what a faithful pastor must do who genuinely loves the Lord he follows.