If you were to ask most pastors what their greatest desire is, you might be surprised at how they respond. Contrary to what many thinkg, most pastors are not in this for the power or money! In fact, very few do what they do for negative reasons at all. It’s unfortunate that the few “bad apples” get all the publicity (hey, isn’t that true of any profession?), but it would be unfair to pain all pastors with the same brush.
Most of the people I know who are in full-time ministry do what they do because they sincerly want to touch people’s lives for the better. At the end of the day, when the dust all settlers, they simply hope that something they did — whether it be a sermon they preached, a word said in a counselling session, or a smile over a potluck dinner — will have made a difference.
Most pastors are not foolish enough to think that they alone will change the world. In fact, I don’t know many who have that lofty a goal. They simply hope that in a small way, they will tocuh the lives of a few, who will in turn touch the lives of a few more.
And in that last statement, you find the ultimate desire of most pastors. That what they do will be reproduced in another. That a few people — and really a few is enough — will be touched by them and will then make a difference in a few more.
That’s why a day like today is so special. The Bikers’ Church family attended a service just outside of Ottawa today. We were at a church in North Gower. We do a service there annually. Only this year, we did things a little different. Rather than me preaching, I asked the pastor if it would be okay if Marty spoke. Marty is the volunteer assistant at Bikers’ Church. He has only ever preached one other time in a church other than Bikers’ Church.
And so, he spoke. And I was so very proud of him. He did a great job. As he always does.
However, for me, the pride I feel when it comes to Marty goes much deeper than a sermon. Perhaps only a pastor will understand what I’m trying to say here, but there is something very special when you watch someone preach who has grown and developed with your help. I’m not foolish enough to think that Marty’s growth is only because of me — he has a lot of input through a number of people, including the Ottawa School of the Bible, where he gets his training.
In the Oil Change devotional that I write, I have just begun 1 Timothy. It is a letter written from Paul to Timothy, a young man who has been influenced greatly by Paul. In a small way, I can feel the pride that Paul must have felt toward Timothy.
Marty, I am very proud of you.
