A Prophet Without Honor

I have been reading in the Gospel of Mark and was contemplating the passage where Jesus went to his hometown of Nazareth to do some ministry. Up to that point Jesus healed many and performed many miracles. However in his hometown there was skepticism and criticism.

Jesus must have been truly disappointed in those he grew up with along with his own family members. The same message and persona was delivered just like in the other towns he had been.

Besides the rejection Jesus could only laid hands on a few folks to be healed

Mark tells us that, "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith."

The thought that struck me is this: In the church today, among His family and friends, is Jesus a prophet without honor. Is it possible that Jesus wants to do more miracles in the life of the church but he can't because of our lack of faith?

What miracles are you trusting God for? As the leader of the flock does the Prophet have honor in your church?

Why Do Pastors Burn Out?

In his book The crazy-Making Workplace, Dr. Arch Hart lists reason people in "helping" professions are particularly prone to burnout:

1. They usually have not been taught to care for others in the right way.

2. They care too much out of guilt.

3. They feel inadequate in providing solutions.

4. They allow caring to dominate their thinking.

5. They don't take adequate steps to care for their own feelings or facilitate their own

recovery.

Leith Andersen quotes Peter Drucker as saying the position of senior pastor is one of the three most demanding jobs in America, along with hospital administrator and university president.

One last thought from Chuck Swindoll: "Busyness rapes relationships. It substitutes shallow frenzy for deep friendship. It feeds the ego but starves the inner man. It fills a calendar but fractures a family. It cultivates a program that plows under priorities. Many a church boasts about its active program: 'Something for every night of the week for everybody.' What a shame! With good intentions the local assembly can create the very atmosphere it was designed to curb."

Burnout! Don't let it happen to you!