There is a special bond when a man and woman meet, get to know one another over time, seek the will of God about their possible union and eventually wed. Just yesterday Brenda asked me about what was my favorite memory. I told her there were two many, but after further thought two seem to rise above the rest. The day Jesus saved me back in October of 1983 and the day Brenda and I wed June 29, 1991. Brenda is my best friend. We still laugh together. We still love hanging out together. We know one another better today than ever. We allow each other the freedom to be who God created us to be.
There is another special bond that takes place when a pastor's heart is wed to a flock. There are thousands of pastors who do their job for wrong reasons. They do it for the money, to use their current position as a rung to climb up on the ladder of success, or for the power and prestige.
There are some pastors who enjoy a special bond with their flock. A reciprocal love is shared between the pastor and the congregation. A mutual respect is shared. Words like sacrifice, honor, and appreciation form the backbone of this union. When God brings a connection between a body of believers and a pastor it can create a ministry marriage.
The bond is so special it has to be born of God and supernatural. I have known some pastors who hated their churches. They begrudged the very sheep they were supposed to oversee. I have angered over pastors who manipulated and fleeced people for financial gain.
I have also admired and respected shepherds who served their flocks with love, patience, perseverance and prayer. I have a list of names of pastors from days gone by who enjoyed a supernatural ministry marriage between themselves and their congregations. As a new believer I was privileged to enjoy such a relationship with my pastor who served my home church for 34 years. He loved and still loves me. He prayed and still prays for me. He helped me. He counseled me and still does. Just yesterday he sent me a text to encourage me and tell me he still thinks about me. What a blessing.
Brenda and I have been privileged to serve more than one group of believers. We have enjoyed this blessed union born of God. We hold those people in our hearts. Too many to name. Some going back decades. Others we have known more recently.
Paul had a pastor's heart. Read what he wrote to the church at Philippi.
Philippians 1:3-8 (ESV)
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Does that sound like the words of a duty bound, begrudging professional preacher? It sounds more to me like a pastor in love with his flock and yet unable to be with them because Paul wrote this from prison. He yearned to be with them. He longed for them. Paul loved and appreciated the people of the many churches he started and served. So do Brenda and I. We thank God for the blessing of ministry marriages.
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