PRIORITIES FOR THE PASTOR

I have heard it said, “There is not enough time to do all you want to do. There is not enough time to do all others want you to do. There is enough time to do all God wants you to do.”  Whether it be as a preacher at a small country church, a pastor off a metropolitan megachurch, the president of a corporation, or the president of this country we all have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year—and we do not know how many years. What we do with that time is determined by our priorties.  Leading our family and our flock well is essential. Jude lays out in verses 20-23.

The first priority here is BUILDING. “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith.”  We cannot build the church, if we do not build ourselves up. John Maxwell speaks of “The Law of the Lid” as one of his irrefutable laws of leadership. My leadership is a lid, and only as I lift my capacity will I be able to lift others. How do I build them? “Preach the Word,” Paul commanded in 2 Timothy 4.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If the Word won’t do it, it won’t get done.

The next priority Jude lists is PRAYING, “praying in the Holy Spirit.”  When I work, my hands can accomplish what a man can do. When I pray, God works, and will accomplish what only He can do. Someone has said, “There is much to do after we pray, but nothing to do until we pray!”

Then, we find the priority of LOVING, “keep yourselves in the love of God,.”  The Great Commandment is to love God with all our being and then to love others as ourselves. God’s love for us is our model and His love in us is the means. Without love, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 that we are just a lot of noise as we speak. 

Further, we focus on LOOKING, “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  We have talked about faith and love. Now, we focus on the third Christian virtue of hope. The blessed hope in the return of Christ is one that must be sounded forth from our pulpit and a motivating force in our life and ministry. Ours is a hopeless world apart from Christ, and people are searching for it. Give it to them and they will soak it in!

Last, but not least, let us labor in REACHING, “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” This is evangelism, and it must claim a priority. This is the Great Commission. The fires of Hell await those who reject Christ. Let us do all we can to “rescue the perishing…snatch them in pity from sin and the grave,” as the hymn exhorts.

There—that should keep us busy!  Do this for your family and your flock and you will be a success in God’s eyes. What else matters?