Gratitude in the Study

I think it would be beneficial for every member of a church to be aware of what happens in the pastor’s study. Some think they know. However, few can even imagine what most pastors struggle with on a regular basis.

      Between the stack of unfinished thoughts and the Sunday countdown, gratitude can easily give way to frustration. The place I think we often think of as a sanctuary has a way of feeling more like a storm shelter to the pastor navigating the weekly demands of ministry. How do we handle that? Be mindful not to overlook the gifts that lie hidden in the ordinary moments of ministry.

Gratitude Redirects Our Gaze

      “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4 ESV). Paul’s words to the Philippians are easier said than done. Paul wrote the letter containing this inspired command from prison.

      When sermon preparation feels dry, when the work doesn’t feel rewarding, when criticism hits harder than encouragement, gratitude redirects our gaze from the problem in front of us to the Provider who is over us. When we’re consistent in cultivating gratitude, it reminds us that the act of opening God’s Word is a privilege.

Gratitude Softens the Soul

      Every pastor knows how easily the heart can grow calloused. Ministry is beautiful, but it can also be bruising. Without gratitude, we become professional responders to spiritual emergencies rather than joyful shepherds of souls.

      Gratitude is how the Spirit keeps our hearts tender. It’s the discipline that turns frustration into faithfulness. Forgetfulness is the enemy of faithfulness. The more we count God’s blessings, the less room there is for bitterness to take root.

Gratitude Fuels Perseverance

      I’ve heard from many pastors who are counting down the days until they can take another vacation or an extended sabbatical. We need to be people who rest. But we’re mistaken if we believe that we need rest to keep going. Gratitude rekindles joy that exhaustion tends to dim. Another one of Paul’s easier said than done commands to the church in Thessalonica prompts us to “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”(I Thess. 5:18 HCSB). It’s very clear that God doesn’t command us to give thanks for everything, but within whatever circumstance we’re walking in.

      The thankful pastor is the one who endures, not because the work is easy, but because the grace of God keeps showing up in unexpected ways.

A Practice Worth Reviving

      Maybe we need to reclaim the pastor’s study as a place of thanksgiving. Imagine what would change in our churches if gratitude filled our studies before we ever stepped into the pulpit. Sermons would sound less like sighs. Our people would see the difference in our faces before they ever heard it in our words.

      I won’t pretend that gratitude makes the hard parts of ministry easier. But I will rejoice that it has a way of redeeming them.