It’s not uncommon for folks to call their pastor seeking wisdom or help or even just fellowship, but then to apologize for calling.
I can understand this sentiment. I remember many times before I became a pastor when I would reach out to the pastors who were over me in order to seek similar things. I think the heart of those who apologize in these types of situations is good!
There may be a host of motives for saying sorry, and we’ll discuss those below. My goal in this article is to free you to call your pastor more, rather than less!
Busyness—Perhaps there’s the thought that your pastor is too busy to take your call! It is true that pastors are generally busy people. Those who aren’t busy aren’t generally the best pastors! Ministry is tough! Jesus’s disciples didn’t have time to eat, and Paul himself said that all the churches weighed down on him.
However, from a pastor’s perspective, there is never a time when a man is too busy to hear from his sheep. In fact, just the opposite—pastors love to hear from their sheep! One of the most painful things about pastoral ministry is to not hear from someone, and then discover that they’ve been struggling, or made a decision, or pursued a situation that you never heard about.
Instead, it’s far better to know what’s happening among the flock, and one of the best ways for that to happen is through open pastoral communication. Pastors love to hear from their sheep, and to be
What’s more, your pastor’s own spiritual life and communion with Christ is dependent on his care for you (Heb 13:17)! How grateful would he be to know how you’re doing?
2. Discouragement—A second common hesitancy is the fear of discouraging your pastor by sharing your struggles or sins. Again, I think this comes from a good place. As a sheep, you might be afraid that your pastor will be discouraged that his sermons aren’t helping, or that his counsel isn’t taking root. You might be concerned that the ‘last thing he needs’ is to hear about your struggles.
However, from a pastor’s perspective, the exact opposite is true. Pastors love to hear from their sheep, even when (especially when) a sheep is struggling. Pastors are called to shepherd the flock of God among them, and to exercise oversight—to watch over the souls of the sheep that God has allotted to their care. When a pastor doesn’t know what’s happening in a person’s heart, they are unable to fulfill this calling that God has placed on them!
Instead, pastors love to hear about what’s going on in a person’s heart so that they can care for them. The greatest joy in a pastor’s heart is to hear that his people are doing well…and the only way people are going to grow into doing well is through the care and oversight of pastors. And so, from a pastor’s perspective, it’s much better to hear from the sheep so that they can be helped!
3. Just Encouragement—A third thing that could happen in a person’s heart is that they might think that their current enjoyment of God, and their spiritual life isn’t worthy of a call to their pastor. Again, this isn’t a bad-hearted sentiment. Things are going well! They’re not in any struggles. In fact, they’ve been growing in Christ! So why interrupt a pastor’s study with that news?
Simply put, this is a great joy and encouragement to a pastor’s heart! It’s a blessing to hear from a brother or sister about how the Lord is working in their life. It doesn’t matter if God used the pastor himself, or the sermons from a pastor down the street. The greatest joy a pastor has is to hear that his sheep are doing well. It isn’t a time-waster or a distraction—quite to the contrary. It is a great joy to hear that God is working among His people!
So, no matter what you might be thinking, remember, your pastor would love to hear from you. Whether he’s busy or not, and whether your call is one of struggle or blessing, pastors love to hear from their sheep! This is God’s heart for us as well, and as shepherds turn to the great Shepherd for help and care, they find the strength and joy needed to fulfill this calling!
