Just Wait
An encouragement to Pastors to stick it out.
Ten years ago, I walked into the upstairs youth room of Oakie Ridge Baptist Church and was introduced to a dozen or so kids. Oakie Ridge was a small Baptist church in the backwoods of Chipley, Florida. I was fresh out of Bible college, newly married, and thought I knew a whole lot about the world and ministry. I quickly learned that I knew far less than I imagined.
Over the last decade, I’ve watched friends burn out, fall into sin, or walk away from ministry altogether. During that time, I’ve served in three churches—the last one for five years now. By God’s grace, I’ve seen dozens come to faith in Christ, and countless others grow as disciples. Yet some of the sweetest blessings have taken years to unfold.
This past month, I had the joy of performing a wedding for one of the girls from that first youth group. To see her grow from a zealous teenager into a mature, passionate witness for Christ was incredible. Meeting her husband and imagining how God might use them together was an even greater blessing.
Some seeds sprout quickly. Others take years before they bear fruit. Growth is often slow, but with time you realize that the small sapling you planted has become a towering tree. Those moments make the hard labor in the field worth it.
If you are a new pastor, keep planting. Keep watering. Wait and watch. Stick it out—you will see the growth one day. You will experience the blessing of weddings, graduations, funerals, and more. Do not throw in the towel on Monday morning just because Sister Ain’tasaint criticizes your tie (or lack thereof). Take heart—the blessings will come.
As Paul reminded the church in Corinth:
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
(1 Corinthians 3:6–7, ESV)
This joy requires two deliberate commitments:
Stay Longer
Keep Up After
The average tenure for pastors, according to Thom Rainer, is 3.6 years. For student ministers, it is often even shorter. But you cannot see saplings become oaks if you leave before the roots take hold. Stay long enough to see fruit. Stay beyond the difficult seasons.
Of course, pastors are called by God and must follow his Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not necessarily leading you to leave just because ministry is hard. Nor is he always moving you simply because another church offers a higher salary. Sometimes the call is to stay, to sacrifice, and to watch fruit slowly ripen.
As Paul urged Timothy:
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
(2 Timothy 4:2, ESV)
Even the Apostle Paul, though not a pastor but a missionary, modeled this principle. His calling was to scatter seed, plant churches, and equip others to carry on the work. Yet even after he moved on, Paul intentionally stayed in touch with those he had discipled. That is why we have multiple letters to the same churches—he kept up after his time with them. His ministry continued, but his investment in people remained.
As he told the Thessalonians:
“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
(1 Thessalonians 2:8, ESV)
I see this in my own life. From that very first youth group, about half a dozen of those kids are now grown adults serving faithfully in their local churches or ministries. Some still reach out for advice, while at other times I reach out just to encourage them. Those ongoing relationships have brought immense joy.
In fact, one of my former students is now serving on staff with me at my current church.
Joy upon joy.