I was coming down the stairs this morning with my arms full and heading out to an appointment that I was going to be late for, when I spilled my cup full of cereal all down the stairs and across the entry! This is a parable…
Hurried & Overwhelmed Pastors
Most pastors and leaders that my wife Kristi and I minister to have the same problem I had this morning – they’re carrying too much and they’re moving too fast. They’re overwhelmed and under tremendous stress and have difficulty making time for the intimacy with Jesus that they crave and is the source of their power, compassion, and insight for ministry.
Who cares for the pastor who cares for you? Who looks after the souls of the Christian leaders who are responsible to guide congregations and organizations of people?
We do at Soul Shepherding. We help many leaders to live and minister in the “easy yoke” of Jesus. And, despite the appearance of my overloaded, stair-spilling story, we actually practice living in the rhythms of Jesus ourselves.
A Little Jesus Prayer
Ironically, that’s why I got to a late start this morning and lost track of my goal to arrive early for meetings in order to pray. I had been in my prayer room meditating deeply on a little “Jesus’ Prayer” I wrote that’s inspired by Psalm 123: “Lord Jesus Christ, I look to your hand of mercy.”
This prayer helped me greatly today. For starters, when I spilled the cereal I didn’t lose my temper, condemn myself, or carry agitation into my day like I would have some years ago. Thankfully, I let the peace of Christ rule my heart (Colossians 3:15). How did I do that? Assisted by the Spirit of Grace, my Jesus Prayer was active deep in my soul and it spilled out with my cereal! And it continued to spill out in counseling sessions and prayers with pastors today.
Jesus was Never in a Hurry Except…
Obviously, I still have a ways to go! Jesus was never in a hurry except to spill his mercy for us on the cross.
Thank you, Heavenly Potter, that you’re patient to keep forming our hearts with your loving hands to help us to be more like Jesus. Yes, Lord, we want to to live unhurried, uncluttered lives. We only want to hurry to spill out with your mercy for everyone – including ourselves when we try to do too much, too fast. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
There really is great power in praying the name of Jesus Christ, the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9). You can learn how to do this too: The Jesus Prayer: A Little Prayer and a BIG Change!
