What Is A Pastor

The Blue Letter Bible defines a shepherd/pastor as: the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: of the overseers of the Christian assemblies.

It also had this definition of a shepherd which I find interesting: A shepherd in the Near East was responsible for watching out for enemies trying to attack the sheep, defending the sheep from attackers, healing the wounded and sick sheep, finding and saving lost or trapped sheep, loving them, and sharing their lives and to earn their trust.

A shepherd or pastor is responsible for managing a group of believers. They are to watch out for enemies and defend the people under their care against these enemies. They help to take care of the people who have been hurt or wounded by life. When someone under their care starts to wander away from the truth, it is up to the shepherd to lead them back to the truth in the Bible.

A pastor’s job is to help to nurture and protect the people under their care from the lies of the world. A pastor can be either a male or female. I know, I know this is a touchy topic. Think about this for a minute. Can a woman be an evangelist? Is it ok for a woman to be a teacher or apostle? Can a woman have a prophetic gift? Of course she can have any of those gifts! Why then would anyone say a woman can not be a pastor? Can she not lead a group of people and help take care of their spiritual needs? I dare say a woman may be a better pastor than a man since most women innately know how to nurture others.

Jesus As A Pastor

How does Jesus show us what it looks like to be a shepherd/pastor? The first thing that came to my mind is John 10:11-15 (ESV), “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Jesus is the ultimate pastor/shepherd. He is so dedicated to his sheep (you) that he is willing to lay down his own life so his sheep (you) can live.

A few verses later Jesus says, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ (‭ESV) Jesus knew his mission was to die for his sheep and he willingly and joyfully did just that.

Jesus Shows What It Takes

Another time we see Jesus as a pastor/shepherd is in Matthew 14. Jesus is told his cousin, John the Baptist has been killed. It says in Matthew 14:13-14 (ESV), ‬‬ “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Although Jesus was sad that his cousin was physically dead and wanted nothing more than to go talk to his Father about this, he saw the needs of the people and had compassion on them. He set aside his immediate needs to care for their needs. This is what a pastor does. He/she takes care of the people God places in their care. Sometimes this means that their needs are put on the back burner. God will supernaturally meet the needs of pastors/shepherds and will give them a break when needed.

Warning

One thing I do want to warn for those who flow in the pastoral giftings. Please be mindful that there will be times when your flesh will want to help someone, but the Holy Spirit will be telling you to leave them alone. You must remember you are NOT their savior. There is only one savior and his name is Jesus. There will be times when you will need to tell someone you can’t come to their rescue right then. Remember your family is your FIRST ministry. There will be times when your family will need you and you will need to tell someone else they need to wait. DO NOT SACRIFICE YOUR FAMILY FOR YOUR MINISTRY!!!!! Sacrificing your family for your ministry is called idol worship. I know you don’t want to be an idol worshiper.

I happen to run pretty strongly in the pastoral gifting. My desire has always been to see people living a happy, healthy life. I’ve never liked it when someone I love is hurting or even uncomfortable. Even when I was a little girl I always wanted to be able to fix all of my friends and family’s problems. Over the years God has taught me when to intervene and when to stand back. It seems people are always looking to me for advice and help. I find myself talking with complete strangers and hearing their whole, messy life story. I don’t have to try to be pastoral. It’s just a part of who I am. To tell me I can’t be a pastor is to tell me to cut off a huge part of who God created me to be.

It’s Ok To Wait

Yes, there are times when I tell people they need to wait for my attention. There are times when God seems to bring a bunch of people my way to help nurture and lead, and other times when I get a break. God knows when I need a break and always allows me to rest and recover. However, I am still responsible to help make sure I keep my priorities in place. While I love to help others, I am constantly balancing my relationship with God, my husband, children, and others. This is the order of importance. My relationship with God will ALWAYS come first. Then comes my relationship with my husband, followed by my relationship with my children, and lastly comes my relationship with everyone else.

My Family Came First

An example of telling someone they have to wait happened last December. I decided my family needed more attention. We had just had a super busy season (as most people have that time of the year). I felt like my kids needed my time and when a lady who needed attention called and asked to make an appointment I told her I wasn’t free until January. Did she need help? Yes. However, I have come to realize that sometimes people need to stop relying on other people to meet their needs and learn to rely on Jesus to meet all of their needs.

Guess what! This lady survived and even thrived since that time. I met with her in January and listened and prayed with her. Now, six months later she is doing phenomenal! God has worked in her life and everything she was worrying about and needed help with in December has been resolved. She even learned to trust God to work in her situation and watch him move in her life and the life of her family. As difficult as it may be to step back, sometimes God calls us to do just that so he can work in people’s lives.

Are You A Pastor

As a pastor/shepherd, you will find yourself with a drive to see everyone around you spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthy. You will find strangers coming to you and telling you all the ups and downs in their life. It will seem like you are always helping to guide everyone around you. Make sure you are always guiding them toward Jesus and what the Bible teaches. Take time to rest and recover after a busy time of ministry. It’s ok to tell someone they have to wait their turn. I promise they will survive. Remember to allow others to spend time with Jesus to find the answers they are looking for. In fact encourage them to ask Jesus first for answers before coming to you for answers. Above all remember this: You are not people’s savior. There is only one savior and his name is Jesus. Let Jesus be Jesus and you be you!

Apostle — Prophet — Evangelist — Pastor — Teacher

A Look into the 5 Fold Ministry: Pastor