When Ministry Seems Joyless

Dave was a pastor’s pastor. About midway through his message, he said something that alarmed me: “After stepping away from three decades of pastoral ministry in the local church, I watched my ministry life flash before my eyes. I had many good recollections, but I also had one giant regret: I didn’t enjoy pastoring as much as I could have. I left so much joy on the table.”When I heard Dave’s words, I winced. I thought of the season an elder tried to oust me from leadership, and how it took the w