When Pastors Get Discouraged

“Do you ever get frustrated by how many people don’t seem to change?” I asked. It was Monday. I’d just finished preaching another sermon. I’m encouraged by what’s happening in our little church, but to be honest, I sometimes feel discouraged too. People listen politely, but it’s hard to measure growth in people’s lives in the short term. It’s much easier to measure disappointment: people engaging in sin, people struggling with issues, people generally not doing the things that they most need to do. It’s the pastor’s dilemma: growth in grace can be hard to measure, but disappointments abound. Our...