08/06/2026
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮, 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫?
We often ask our friends how they are doing.
We ask our family, our coworkers.
We ask the people we love.
But when was the last time we sincerely asked,
“How are you, Pastor?”
Not “How is the church?”
Not “How is the program?”
Not “How is the ministry?”
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧.
𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧.
𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧…
𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞.
Sometimes we expect pastors to be strong all the time.
To always have the answers, to never get tired, to never struggle and to never feel discouraged.
𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐨.
They have fears, disappointments, battles they pray about.
They have tears they wipe away before standing behind the pulpit.
And while they spend so much time caring for others, sometimes there is nobody asking how they are doing.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝. 𝐇𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫.
𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦.
𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦.
𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝.
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫.
Not because he is perfect but because God has entrusted him with a sacred responsibility.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫.
Not only financially or through attendance, but through kindness, cooperation, and a willing spirit.
𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫.
Not because he never makes mistakes, but because he is faithfully trying to serve God while being just as human as everyone else.
And most importantly, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫.
Pray for his 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 when ministry becomes heavy.
Pray for his 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 when sacrifices become difficult.
Pray for his 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 when exhaustion tries to catch up.
Pray for his 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 when discouragement comes because the enemy often attacks those who are helping lead others closer to Christ.
The next time you see your pastor.
Ask, “𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫?”
And mean it.
You might be surprised how much encouragement can come from knowing that someone cares not only about the ministry but also about the man behind it.
