Have you ever considered prayerfully the unique relationship between a musician and their pastor? They have so much in common!

Musicians and choir directors know what it is like to choose musical selections that don't please everyone. It's too contemporary! It's not contemporary enough! It's too loud! It's not loud enough! You need a choir! You need a praise team! The praise and worship service is too long! It's too short!

Musicians know what it is like to need help and have other people try to control you by not singing, not rehearsing, not cooperating. So do pastors! They sure could use ushers, Bible study leaders, people to help clean up the church; or even if everyone would just take the trash out of the church after service it would be a huge help! Or pick up a couple of rolls of toilet paper next time they are at the store and bring it to the church for the church to use!

Or if only grown people who are sitting in an air-conditioned, carpeted sanctuary with a sound system and wonderful instruments would put more than one dollar in the offering plate. Sometimes anything would help!

If they teach a lot, they need to preach more and inspire their flock. If they preach a lot, they need to teach more and give the people something to take home with them!

Sometimes the same people who won't pay their tithes are the very people who want to get paid. Yes, I said it.

You can't please everyone! Musicians know this! They also know what discouragement feels like. They also know that they can't just give up, or the church will suffer without music. You know that music draws people, so for you to quit would mean that the whole church suffers. Pastors know they just can't give up, either.

I'm about to blow the lid off of something that pastors don't talk much about. They are human. They try to always be pillars of strength, but sometimes they feel like crying. They like to act like they are above being hurt, but they aren't. It is hard to be in a position where you are always criticized and seldom helped. It is hard to keep your head up all the time. It sure is nice to hear that you are loved and appreciated. Sometimes pastors and pastors wives harden themselves so much that others think they have an attitude problem. Well, you might have an attitude problem too if you were always talked about like they are!

David was in a similar situation. He made a mistake; he left the wives and children of his men unguarded at Ziklag. When David and his men were gone, the Amalekites came and took everything. The people were so upset they talked about stoning David. They seemed to have forgotten when David took them in, gave them shelter, protected them from Saul. Pastors go through that so much. They are human; yes, they are called of God but they are human, too. They sometimes make mistakes. They can get back on the right path, though. And they need your prayers and encouragement to do it.

So encourage your pastor twice this month. Go out of your way to tell them how much you appreciate them, and how much you thank God for them. It will mean more to them then you may know.

Be Blessed!