I have journeyed with a group of mates now for almost 20 years.
All of us Pastors, or in ‘ministry’ of some sort.

We have seen it all in Ministry. That is not an arrogant claim, just a realization that our hearts need to refrain from cynicism or being comfortable in ministry. Because ministry is not comfortable.

We have watched many of our friends and contemporaries leave the ministry. Some for good reasons, others because they were forced out, others because their own issues disqualified them. Thank God none of us have ‘fallen’. I like to think one reason is because we have each other.

This morning I shared with them this verse with them from Exodus 4.1
“But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”

This verse goes to the heart of a Pastors insecurity.
Firstly that the people will not listen to him. They wont believe him.
This is something we all have had to deal with at some stage. In order to lead people, you need to have them listen and believe you. You need to believe in yourself as a leader if you expect others to believe in you. There are times insecurity is bound up in our hearts…and strangles the life out of us.

Secondly Moses expresses his concern that the people wont believe God is with him. You can’t lead people spiritually unless God is with you. Otherwise you are not leading them to anything. Without God’s power, you are powerless. And you can only fool the people for some of the time, for a certain length of time…without God.

Which goes to the struggle of being a Pastor. Without God, you have nothing. With God, you have everything. Its a unique job. Having people to journey with means its possible. Without my peer group I would not be in ministry.