A friend of mine is having her last service as youth pastor at a particular church tonight. She is transitioning into the unknown where currently she doesn’t know what the next step is. That is part of the reason for this article. Also, October is traditionally Pastors Appreciation Month. It’s a month where people honor their pastors and spiritual leaders by giving them gifts or donations. There are a number of different ways to honor your pastor, or different ways to show a pastor who is maybe leaving how much you really love and cherish them. But really it’s as easy as 1-2-3, minus the 2-3.
Live out what you’ve been taught. All the other things are nice, but this is hands-down the most important to a spiritual leader who really cares about you. Gifts are nice, but they only last for some time. Impact, legacy, real life change is what we’re really aiming for. I have a book in my office of immensely encouraging words penned from my students telling me about the impact I’ve had in their life. I will always keep it somewhere easily accessible because it means so much to hear that. But I see change actually happening in some students. They’re taking the messages to heart. They’re developing their own relationship with God rather than just being fed by me like I’m a mother bird who needs to always chew up the food first. THAT is the number 1 thing that matters.
So perhaps you find yourself thinking of a particular pastor that you really appreciate. Maybe you’ve found their messages to be captivating and motivating, maybe their counsel has helped you through hard times, maybe their friendship has been life-giving. Live out the change. Because on the flipside, the greatest way to break a pastor’s heart is to say all the right things and then live your life completely absent of actual holiness.
No one’s perfect. But when you strive for excellence, for improvement, for godliness, then you’re shouting loudly to those in the stands cheering you on that you got it and you appreciate it. It’s as easy as that.