Pastors need healing too

In my devotional reading right now I am reading J. I. Packer's A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life. It is not an easy read but one that has been very profitable. At a time when the church too often presents a gospel that demands nothing and expects nothing and sees little results it is helpful to be reminded of the spiritual strength found in the Puritans. That strength was found in their faithful trust in the power of the Scriptures to direct one's life and heal one's spiritual illnesses. Those illnesses are not only found in the pew but also in the pulpit, and the wise pastor will apply the same healing power of the Word of God to himself or herself as to the person in the pew or on the street.

Packer writes, "Pastors no less than others are weakened by pressure from the world, the flesh, and the devil, with their lures of profit, pleasure, and pride, and...pastors must acknowledge that they the healers remain sick and wounded and therefore need to apply the medicines of Scripture to themselves as well as to the sheep whom they tend in Christ's name."

During my years as a Resource Minister I had the opportunity to work with many pastors who suffered from the ailments Packer writes about. Some had been beaten down by the world. Others had been unjustly attacked by congregations. Some had worked themselves to the point of exhaustion in an effort to prove to themselves or others that they were worthy of the calling God had on their lives. In a few I recognized the symptoms of clinical depression, but most of them were too proud to seek medical help. These pastors were indeed sick and wounded, but many of them were unable or unwilling to apply the same healing power of the Word of God to their lives as they would have offered to a member of their church who came to them seeking help. Some became toxic to their churches and the work of the Kingdom. Others dropped out of the ministry, while a few sought comfort in unhealthy lifestyles.

All of us, clergy and lay, need to apply the healing power of the Word of God to our lives. We all struggle with various spiritual illnesses from time to time and need the touch of the Great Physician. There is no shame in these struggles. We live in a fallen world with many adversaries, and while we remain in this life we are but weak flesh. We should not be surprised by our weaknesses, but we should be very concerned if we cannot recognize those weaknesses in ourselves.

The church was never intended to be a hotel for saints but a hospital for sinners. Do not look for perfect people within the church. There are none. We all have our struggles. We are all in need of healing. That includes those of us standing behind pulpits every week. Receive the healing you need and then be a source of healing for others. Jesus said He did not come for the well but for the sick. He wants to heal us of our afflictions and then work through us to bring healing to others.