Joy is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, particularly the New Testament. Followers of Christ are exhorted numerous times to find their joy in Christ, regardless of (or sometimes because of) their circumstances. James 1:3 comes to mind, where James calls on those who are experiencing various trials to “count it all joy,” because trials ultimately lead to maturity for the believer.
Pastoring a church, no doubt, brings its share of trials. If you’re honest, you probably face situations every month (maybe every week) that you just don’t enjoy. People who test your patience. Meetings you’d rather not attend. A snarky email or text message that gets under your skin.
Yes, pastoring can be painful. But it also brings many joys: baptizing new believers; joining a couple in marriage before God, family, and friends; seeing young children grow into teenagers and young adults who are following after Christ; the painful joy of celebrating a life well-lived during a God-honoring funeral or memorial service.
As a pastor, it can sometimes be easy to get so wrapped up in the difficulties that you lose sight of the joys. I know this because I’ve been there myself. And yet the Father has a better way for us to lead.
In Philippians 4:4, Paul gives a simple but profound command: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (ESV). I think Paul understood how deceptively difficult this command would be, so he repeated it to be sure his audience got the point.
Amazingly, this command comes right after Paul discusses a conflict that has arisen in the Philippian church, between Euodia and Syntyche. We know nothing about the nature of the conflict, except that it apparently was affecting the church as a whole, which is why Paul felt the need to call out these two believers by name in his letter.
What is Paul’s solution to the conflict? “Rejoice.”
That seems kind of odd, doesn’t it? How on earth could rejoicing help solve this conflict? The answer to this is one of the keys to pursuing gospel joy in pastoring.
In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul commands the Colossian believers to focus their attention on Christ, not on the things of this world. I remember when I was learning to drive, my dad taught me an important lesson: You will drive where you are looking. So if my eyes are on the stuff of earth, my life probably will reflect that. Conversely, if my eyes are focused on Jesus, my life will look more and more like Him.
In the case of Euodia and Syntyche, it doesn’t seem like either one of them is guilty of some gross sin that’s led to the conflict; they’re simply not getting along for whatever reason. So, could it be that the simple answer is for them to focus their eyes on Jesus (rather than each other) and pursue joy in Him, and that would help ease the conflict?
Pastor, is same thing needed in your life? As you focus your eyes on Jesus and rejoice in Him, could that make meeting with an angry deacon seem a little less stressful? Could it make a long committee meeting seem a little less tedious? Could it make hospital visits and phone calls to shut-ins be a little less mundane? I think so.
As you pursue a life of rejoicing in the Lord, don’t forget to lead your church to celebrate victories. Did one of your middle school students share their faith with a classmate? Rejoice! Did a church member receive good news from test results they were concerned about? Rejoice! Did a family recently welcome a new grandbaby? Rejoice! Were the baptism waters stirred after a long dry season? REJOICE!
There are difficulties in pastoring a church, yes. But we also experience an untold number of joys. You can focus on one or the other. And you can lead your church to focus on one or the other.
Let me encourage you today to focus on Jesus! Keep your eyes on Him. And, as you do, rejoice!
I’ll say it again: rejoice.
Published October 31, 2024