Pastoral Pitfalls

To be sure, the minister of the Gospel is vulnerable to trials and temptations distinct to his calling:

jealousy ("Why are his gifts more esteemed than mine?")

bitterness ("Why does the congregation criticize everything I do?")

fear ("Will they leave the church if I teach particular redemption?")

depression ("Will this church ever grow?")

grief ("Why have there been so few conversions?")

frustration ("Why does the board appear to distrust my motivations?")

doubt ("Why has God caused such suffering in the life of this family?")

anxiety ("How will we ever afford to send our children to college?")

sexual indiscretion ("Why does it seem that my wife is not as responsive to me as other women in the church?")

despondency ("Why doesn't the congregation love Jesus with greater fervor?")

desperation ("Have I rightly discerned my call to ministry?")

It is imperative, then, for pastors to structure their lives in order to insure that ample time is given in prayer for the protection and promotion of their own spiritual condition.

-- Arturo Azurdia, "Reforming the Church Through Prayer." In Reforming Pastoral Ministry

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