In his Meditations On Preaching, Francis Grimke writes, “A man who is not always willing to make the proper preparation has no business in the pulpit, and the sooner he gets out the better.”
This statement conveys a simple, yet striking message: pastors must be hard-working and diligent. That might seem obvious; after all, Paul exhorts pastors to be “disciplined,” “hard-working,” and “train [themselves] for godliness” (Titus 1:8, 2 Tim. 2:6, 1 Tim. 4:8a). If you’re a pastor, ask yourself: do you feel the temptation to be lazy? Are you distracted more than you are diligent?
Below I will offer three reasons pastors must pursue diligence, and then two practical ways to grow.
REASONS FOR PASTORAL DILIGENCE
1. The pastor should pursue diligence for his own sake.
In 1 Timothy 4:15, Paul passes onto Timothy a principle of personal spiritual attendance. In other words, the pastor must tend to his own soul even though he is responsible for the souls of others. One qualification for the pastoral office is the management of one’s household (1 Tim. 3:4), which entails care and concern for oneself.
Reflecting on the obstacles that keep us from beholding Christ in his glory, John Owen describes
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