25/12/2025
A LETTER TO PASTORS, MINISTERS, AND SHEPHERDS OF GOD’S PEOPLE ON THIS CHRISTMAS DAY.
I want to speak today, not to critics, not to spectators, but to pastors and ministers of the gospel—those who carry the weight of souls, those who stand in front while carrying wounds behind the scenes.
Many times, when something goes wrong in a church, people automatically assume the pastor is the problem. They do not ask questions. They do not examine hearts. They do not consider that sometimes members are wrong, rebellious, wounded, immature, or simply unwilling to submit to truth. The finger almost always points to the pulpit.
Yet we forget something very important: even people left Jesus Christ.
Jesus was perfect. He never sinned. He never abused authority. He never manipulated anyone. Yet the Bible says that after one hard teaching, many of His disciples walked away and followed Him no more (John 6:66). If people left Jesus, why are we surprised when people leave us?
Being a pastor is not easy.
You pray for the same people who gossip about you. You hear the things they say behind your back. You know the stories, the exaggerations, the lies, and the half-truths. Yet you still lay hands on them. You still bless them. You still intercede for their families. You still treat them with kindness. Not because you are pretending, but because you are trying to be like Christ.
This is a pain many people will never understand.
Being a pastor is not easy.
Sometimes you go to church with an empty stomach. Especially in the early days of ministry, there is no salary, no honorarium, no financial security. Yet you must preach faith, hope, and trust in God. You must smile. You must appear strong. You must encourage others while your own heart is heavy.
The great apostle Apostle Paul wrote openly about this kind of life. He said there were seasons when he was hungry, thirsty, and tired, yet he continued to labor in the gospel. Lack did not mean Paul was out of God’s will. It meant he was paying the price of obedience.
Being a pastor is not easy.
There is an unspoken pressure in ministry: if the pastor breaks down, the people may scatter. So pastors learn to hold themselves together even when they are falling apart inside. They preach through tears. They worship through pain. They lead while wounded.
Even Moses, one of the greatest leaders in Scripture, reached a point where he cried out to God and said the burden was too heavy. He felt overwhelmed by the people he was called to lead. If Moses felt that way, why do we think pastors today should be immune?
Being a pastor is not easy.
Some people do not just leave your church quietly. Some leave angrily. Some leave with bitterness. Some leave and then gather others to fight you, discredit you, and pull down what you are building. They watch your steps. They hope for your failure. They rejoice when you struggle.
King David understood this pain deeply. He said it was not an enemy that wounded him, but a close companion. Betrayal hurts most when it comes from people you loved, trusted, and invested in.
And yes—some of you reading this right now are bleeding. You are still preaching, still serving, still praying, but inside you are wounded. The scars may not be visible, but they are real.
Yet I came to remind you of something very important: God sees you.
The prophet Jeremiah was rejected, mocked, and misunderstood, yet God reminded him that he was known, chosen, and appointed before he was born. Calling does not cancel pain, but pain does not cancel calling.
Dear pastor, your sacrifice is not in vain.
Every prayer you prayed when no one said thank you—God remembers.
Every sermon you preached when you felt empty—God remembers.
Every tear you shed in secret—God remembers.
The Bible says God is not unjust to forget your labor of love. People may forget. People may misjudge you. People may misrepresent your intentions. But heaven keeps perfect records.
If you are tired, God sees you.
If you are discouraged, God sees you.
If you are misunderstood, God sees you.
Please hear this clearly: do not give up.
Do not let bitterness enter your heart. Do not allow wounds to turn into walls. Do not let betrayal redefine your calling. Your reward is not in public applause but in divine approval.
Jesus promised that when the Chief Shepherd appears, faithful shepherds will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away. That promise is for you.
You are not alone.
You are not forgotten.
You are not wasting your life.
God is remembering you.
If you are a pastor or minister reading this, take strength. If you know a pastor, share this with them. Sometimes shepherds also need to be encouraged.
Grace and peace to every wounded but faithful servant of God.
