Take Care of Your Pastor

Devotions from Colossians By Darrell Lingerfelt

1:7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

Thank God for faithful servants like Epaphras who had been used of the Lord to teach the Saints of Colossae the great Word of God. 

The modern church has no clue of the great blessing of God to send them a man who would preach to them the truth of His Word. The man of God who is a faithful minister of the Gospel is worth all the gold in the world. One so faithful to labor for the cause of the elect, to have his heart in his hand for the Saints in particular, and the welfare of the church in general, is a precious commodity. He is God's anointed given to you for the edification of your souls. He is a part of God's gift of grace to you whereby God imparts the Gospel unto the salvation of your soul. He is God's messenger to you speaking those things that the Lord would have you know from the pages of His Word. 

But alas, the man of God is seen as being of no great importance in this day, that all men can do what he does, and that he is of no more worth than what the people on the pew make HIm. Not so! If he is God's man, he contends for your soul before the throne of God with intercessory prayers, pleadings and such. It is he that will stand in judgement before the Lord for every word he teaches you. He is God's angel and under-shepherd of the church. Be mindful and respect such a one.

If you have a man of God who labors in the Word on your behalf, treat him well. Do not fall prey to the tom-foolery of men who would say, "Lord, you keep him humble, we will keep him poor." Help him to do his work. Hold up his arms and meet his needs. He will be a balm for your soul through Christ Jesus if you will. Help him to be a faithful minister of Christ and you will reap the blessings thereof.