I have to Pause

Pause:
1: a temporary stop
2: to dwell or linger

Because I am writing this on the eve of what is amounting to be an historical election, one may think that I would want to wax eloquently about politics. One would be wrong.

Anyone who knows me can attest that I am a political junkie. I live and breathe politics, and how our political systems affect the entire world. I have had enough. I believe it is because I am neglecting what is truly important.

The month that just ended was Pastor Appreciation Month. Across the country, how much was that overshadowed by this election mania I wonder. Were we consumed by the mud-slinging, the rhetoric so much so that we failed to see the ones who labor right in front of us? I point the most direct finger of regret at myself.

I have to believe that our pastors operate by enormous amounts of faith poured out on them by our Almighty God. No one can conjure up enough faith to sustain them on a daily basis through trials and strife; it has to come from the One who called us to be His child. Therefore, these shepherds have to function on much more than rote obedience.

Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd who lays His life down for His sheep, so it bears a peek into the life of a shepherd and his flock. Here is what Jesus says;

“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary.” John 10.14-15

First, some information on the animals that Jesus compared us to; sheep. Let us look and compare ourselves to these animals. Sheep have excellent eyesight, but they have poor depth perception, which means they cannot see immediately in front of their noses. Sheep have a strong instinct to follow the leader. When one sheep decides to go somewhere, the rest of the flock will follow, even if it’s not a good decision. Sheep will tend to stay together in a group, and one will become agitated when it is separated from the group. When sheep are faced with danger, their instinct is to flee. Sheep also never walk in a straight line. They are constantly observing their backside from one side and then another. Sheep never allow themselves to show pain, because it attracts predators. Sheep have to be watched closely, as they will eat poison grasses and berries, and drink brackish and poisoned water if left to their own devises.

While there is some debate about whether or not shepherds will break a sheep’s legs, I have it on good authority that it is indeed true. When a sheep refuses to stop wandering, a shepherd will break their legs and carry them around on their backs until their legs are healed. The sheep is then conditioned to never stray far from the shepherd.

Pastors strive to model themselves after The Good Shepherd. They lay down much of their lives for their sheep. It may not appear like that to a casual observer, but as someone who sees a pastoral staff on a daily basis, I can attest to their faith and dedication.

Pastors put in many more hours then what they are paid for. They spend time pouring over Scripture, music, curriculum and people. They pray for people who are constantly straying. They plead for the souls of the lost that have not come into the fold yet. Their sheep’s pain is their own and they care individually for each one of them.

So what would it take for us to pause for a moment to remember them everyday? There are many of us who are praying for the elections, when we forget that God is ultimately in control of the situation. He is the Creator of the Universe and He sustains that Universe and this Earth on a daily basis; how can we be so sinful to think He is not in control of what happens with political leaders and how this whole Creation drama plays out? Sure, we have a duty to pray for our leaders and our enemies, and we have a duty to vote, but God is certainly not surprised or caught off guard by the results.

Our pastors are on the front lines everyday. They hear from rams and goats. Hear what God says in Ezekiel 34:

“Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?” Ezekiel 34.17-19

I can only surmise that it is not sheer obedience that keeps our pastors where they are. It is faith that God can use their meager offerings to reach that lost sheep, to nurture a sick lamb, to build up a yearling. The pastors are constantly dealing with their flocks.

I want to pause to reflect on people who are more important to my daily life than politicians. I’ll be at my polling place on Election Day, that’s not the issue. But after the election has been decided, my pastors will still be where they were the day before; sitting at their desks or on their knees somewhere, praying for all of us. When the economy falters, they will be there, praying and providing as best they can. When the Word of God is attacked or harnessed, they will still be there, fighting for the truth. When my children hear something in school I don’t want them to hear, or my non-believing family fights me with rhetoric they hear, my pastors will give me words of wisdom and encouragement.

And it’s because my pastors know something very important that God has given them by faith;

"Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out." Isaiah 40.28