“It is understandable why battered pastors tend to draw inward and begin avoiding people. The pain of being betrayed, undermined, and slandered by Christians is so great that withdrawing from people seems wise. But this sort of self-protection is deadly. It is actually a failure to love. It is also a failure to show forth the God who is love.”

In this, may final post in the series, I am picking up where I left off in part 4…

4. Devote time to reading works by and about battered pastors.
All pastors need companions. This is especially true for the battered pastor who, out of a sense of shame, will draw inward into isolation. It is in those times when he needs to know he is not alone. Devote time to reading the accounts of pastors who experienced great pain but nevertheless endured. We need the stories of these men who persevered. Specifically, we need the stories of those pastors who endured through personal attacks, betrayals, and unrelenting criticism and slander.

Become acquainted with the following works:
The Roots of Endurance by John Piper – When I was undergoing my own experience as a battered pastor, this book became a very good friend. The chapter on Charles Simeon is well worn. Also you will want to listen (over and over) to Dr. Piper’s outstanding biographical addresses on Charles Simeon and Charles Spurgeon. They are a wealth of sober thinking and encouragement.

The Full Harvest by Charles Spurgeon – The pastor of London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle goes into excruciating detail about the terrible slanders leveled against him. He was battered by outsiders in the press, doctrinal compromisers within his denomination, physical maladies, and a tragic event which haunted him until the day he died.

Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon – The chapter entitled “The Minister’s Fainting Fits” is worth the price of the book.

New Life in the Wasteland by Douglas Kelly – This little exposition of 2 Corinthians pays special attention to Paul’s sufferings as a pastor. Highly Recommended.

5. Shun self-protection.
In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis writes, “Love someone and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.” To love is to paint oneself into a corner. That is, to love is to guarantee that you will be hurt. Little wonder why Buddhists teach: “He who has many loves has many woes. He who has one love has one woe. He who has no loves has no woes.” The Christian however willingly, even eagerly, enters into the pain and loss which loving others inevitably yields. We do this, supremely, because God is love. And God has loved us with a costly love. His pursuit of sinners hung his Son upon a cross.

It is understandable why battered pastors tend to draw inward and begin avoiding people. The pain of being betrayed, undermined, and slandered by Christians is so great that withdrawing from people seems wise. But this sort of self-protection is deadly. It is actually a failure to love. It is also a failure to show forth the God who is love.

This was one of the sins for which I had to repent during the time of my own battering. I had failed to love many people because, in my pain, I withdrew and began to isolate myself.

Read More