Pastoral Love

The Apostle Paul used warm, familial language in his writing to his churches. He called them his brothers and sisters. In Philippians 1:8, in this spirit, he said that he longed for them with the same type of affection that Jesus had. This is a proper viewpoint of the leader of a church. I want to express that for you too.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul compared this thinking, which included his feelings, to a cherishing nursing mother. He not only shared the gospel with them, but his very self too. As a result, Paul prayed for the church members, that they would have spiritual strength, wisdom, comprehension of Christ’s love, and fruitfulness. He cared about their spiritual well-being.

Sometimes today especially care for spiritual well-being isn’t viewed as actual care. Toleration of spiritual unhealthiness, sickness, or unsoundness is preferred. That isn’t a pastor who cares for his people. He must deal with their spiritual deficiencies, weaknesses, and deviation. He must. Hebrews 13:17 says that he watches for their souls. This considers the spiritual as most important.

What makes it easy for a pastor to let these spiritual maladies go is that the people themselves want him to let theirs go. If they are physically sick, they want interest and maybe a pastoral visit. When they have a financial problem, they want some short term solution that doesn’t usually deal with the underlying reason why they have the financial problem. The role of the pastor is caring for the spiritual needs of his people, not their physical needs. It’s not that he doesn’t care for their physical needs. Again, he does. It’s that it isn’t his role.

The people of a church should look to physical needs, but not ones engendered by sin, and yet ignoring the sin problems that caused the physical needs. People, however, want no-questions-asked short term deliverance. My love shouldn’t and can’t allow that.