A Pastor's Heart

1 Thessalonians 3:8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.

8 ὅτι νῦν ζῶμεν ἐὰν ὑμεῖς στήκετε ἐν κυρίῳ.

There isn't a lot of devotional material in this chapter.  However, I do think that it shows us what a pastor's heart should look like.  Paul decided that it was more important to get news about the Thessalonians than it was to enjoy Timothy's company.  He sent Timothy to get word about them.  This was how Paul expressed his feelings about their church.  Their steadfastness was obviously very important to him.  ζῶμεν is a present active indicative verb.  It seems that the ESV translates this perfectly.

When I read this I think back to my time at Setting Captives Free.  When I started working as a mentor I think that this verse pretty well described how I felt.  But as I proved myself faithful I got more work piled on me.  Eventually I was working with so many guys that I was basically just processing them.  I couldn't really counsel them and, therefore, I stopped caring.  I just wanted to see them get through the course.  I stopped following-up with them and really didn't even notice when they disappeared.

It seems terrible to look back on it that way.  It's not the fault of Setting Captives Free either.  There just simply was not enough time to work with all the men who came through.  But I think back to those early days and I miss that.  I would love to get into a ministry where I could actually work with people.  We'll see if that happens.