3 Things No One Told Me About Being a Pastor

Going from layperson to pastor is great...but surprising

Many of you guys know, I started being a bi-vocational pastor last year. It’s been a blast! But it’s not without some surprises. In no particular order, I decided to make a list of what it’s like to be one, to give you some insights if any of you are thinking about it.

Surprise 1: How Weird It Sounds Being Called “Pastor”

I remember the first time a friend jokingly called me “Pastor Phil,” and my gut reaction was “Please don’t call me that.” I was just surprised.

I’ve been a spiritual leader for a lot of my life. But being called “Pastor” is such a strange and weird experience at first. I recognize that people really see spiritual authority in a serious light.

And suddenly, I’ve never had so many eyes on me.

From the car I drive, to the clothes I wear, to the jokes I make, to how much I lift at the gym (haha).

Being a pastor comes with expectations. Depending on the cultural background (especially Asian backgrounds), people are more inclined to elevate me in a different light.

It’s weird being called “Pastor.” But I understand it.

I hope it makes me a better pastor.
I hope I never take myself too seriously.
I hope it makes me humble before God.
I hope it reminds me that my job is to serve people in the service of Him.

Surprise 2: Having a Day Job Really Helps Ground Me

By the way, I’m doing this bivocationally. I still have my day job.

I think that really grounds me.

I think one of the weaknesses we as pastors have is to go off into Bible land and not really come back.

I remember hearing so many sermons with Christian lingo, Christian assumptions, and deep theological discussions.

I’ve realized over my 20 years of being a Christian that these esoteric discussions are hardly helpful for common folk to understand what it means to follow Jesus practically.

It also helps me think about teaching that applies to people working normal jobs.

Surprise 3: How Easy It Is to Pastor Work Without God’s Spirit

I know it’s going to sound crazy, but one can do the “work” of a pastor without God’s Spirit.

Filling out excel sheets?
Running meetings?
Project planning?

Those are all duties of a pastor that one does NOT need the Spirit of God to do (although very helpful!)

I think I can now see how pastors can be spiritually dead while working. It can be very easy to do “duties” of a church without the task of being full of God’s Spirit.

To be fair, I do do those things (hopefully well!).

But my most important job is to be plugged in to the Holy Spirit, into what He’s doing, and to live out of that.

I don’t want to be spiritually dead being a pastor. I want to be a burning and shining lamp.

Anyway, not sure if this helped anyone but thought it’d be fun to write this.

You were made for greatness,
Phil