Pastors are officially set apart in various ways, some more ceremonious than others, but every pastor must carry this imprimatur of the Lord: “We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thess. 2:4). … It isn’t enough for pastors to do our sermons, counseling, meetings, and visits. To be worthy of the gospel entrusted to us we must always answer to the watchful standards and soul scrutiny of God.

All sensible pastors know how unqualified we are for this work, no matter how arduous our preparation of heart and mind. Yet, despite how much we’ve yet to learn from Scripture, despite our inadequate praying, misplaced priorities, sin, and foolishness, when we speak out the vast wonders of the gospel, publicly or privately, we carry the approval and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A couple of years ago I corresponded with a pastor from a small community. He had knocked on every door in his town, inviting people to church, with not one visitor to show for his work. I thought about him when I read what Jesus told Paul in his vision in Corinth: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10)

Although we’re often surrounded by people, we all know what it is to be inwardly isolated, ready to sing a bluesy rendition of, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.” Good thing the next line is, “Nobody knows but Jesus.”

There are times when we wonder if we’ve somehow lost our herald’s credentials or if everyone would be better off if we moved on. Perhaps you’ve been beaten or shipwrecked once too often. Some pastors lose their lifeline to Scripture and the Spirit till they sound like the unintelligible teacher in A Charlie Brown Christmas: “Wa-wa-wawa-wa .”

When we entered the ministry, most of us were ill-prepared for just how dangerous the work could be. Part of our schooling should’ve been to crawl under barbed wire with live fire over our heads to give us a feel for what we’d face.