“What I’m recently learning,” said Sons, “is that to not be honest with my church that I am deeply encouraged by a word or act of appreciation from them, and also to not give them opportunity to do so, is not rooted in humility but pride…it takes real humility to be honest with my church that I am not impervious to discouragement and that a small act or word of encouragement goes a long way to bolster my spirit.” He concluded:
It takes real humility to recognize that though the Lord is indeed sufficient to meet my needs, oftentimes he uses the kindness of others to do it. And that to remind my church of this is not only an act of humility, but an act of faithfulness. So let me encourage my fellow pastors, don’t allow faux humility to keep you from being vulnerable with your congregation. Repent of pride, or false humility, and be honest with your people. You, and your church, will be better served because of it.
Sons’ words are a timely reminder for church members to express their gratitude toward their church leaders, not just in October, but all year long—particularly when many pastors are leaving the ministry after an extremely challenging year-and-a-half.
