My Greatest Need as a Pastor

Back in the 1600s, Richard Baxter delivered a charge to pastors regarding ministerial pride. “Our work must be carried on with great humility,” said Baxter. “We must carry ourselves meekly and condescendingly to all.” Baxter then explained why, saying, “Pride is a vice that ill becomes them that must lead men in such an humble way to heaven.” Then he concluded, “It is this pride at the root that feeds all the rest of our sins.” [The Reformed Pastor, p. 116].

Do you think Baxter is overstating the case by saying that pride is the root of the rest of our sins? I don’t. If pastoring nearly four decades in the same church has taught me anything, it’s that pride is my greatest problem.

In my last article I tried to address the problem of pastoral pride. You might check that out if you haven’t read it yet. In what follows I’d like to encourage you to consider the necessity of humility.

Humility is not natural.

Pride is natural. Thinking of myself is natural. Getting offended when someone slights me is natural. But taking a low position, a servant’s position, is not natural. Indeed, in Romans 7 Paul described his own internal battle by saying he did NOT do the good he knew he should do but often did the self-centered evil he knew he should NOT do. He then concluded, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death (Romans 7:24)?”

Please know that if we do what comes naturally, it will NOT be to exhibit humility. When I do what comes naturally, I do not help my wife with the dishes. I do not put down my phone and listen well when my children are talking, or spend time in fervent prayer for my church family. I only do those things when (by the grace of God) I do the unnatural thing and humble myself.

Did you have any controversy in your home this past week, my fellow pastor? How about in the church, or with your neighbors? What caused it? Somewhere there likely was a dose of pride. Someone didn’t ask what you thought about the menu, or grabbed the remote before you could get it, or didn’t consider how you were feeling.

We’ve all experienced it. Pride destroys families, churches, friendships, workplaces, even ball teams. When there’s potential conflict, even a little humility makes a big difference.

Humility is not mere introspection.

Martin Lloyd-Jones offers this helpful distinction.

“I suggest that we cross the line from self-examination to introspection when, in a sense, we do nothing but examine ourselves, and when such self-examination becomes the main and chief end in our life. We are meant to examine ourselves periodically, but if we are always doing it, always, as it were, putting our soul on a plate and dissecting it, that is introspection. And if we are always talking to people about ourselves and our problems and troubles, and if we are forever going to them with that kind of frown upon our face and saying: I am in great difficulty – it probably means that we are all the time centered upon ourselves. That is introspection, and that in turn leads to the condition known as morbidity.”

[Martin Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression, p. 17; emphasis added]

Should we ever search our souls? Yes, indeed. The Bible commands us to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) — but not endlessly. The purpose of self-examination is so we can get our eyes off of self and focus on loving God and others.

Think of the pastor who says, “Oh I’m no good at that [it could be counseling, or administration, or teaching children]. I’ll just delegate and let somebody else cover that base.” Is he exhibiting humility? Possibly. Yet his self-deprecation could be indicative of a proud heart. How so? The truth is, he wants to be good at that activity and it bothers him because he isn’t.

Pride always focuses on self. What about humility?

Humility is choosing to focus on God and others, not yourself.

Peter gives this helpful exhortation in 1 Peter 5:6-7. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The truly humble person refuses to be self-reliant and self-focused. Instead, he leans into God and chooses to transfer his burdens to the shoulders of the One who can handle them.

One of the times we tend to become self-absorbed is when we go through trials. The meeting with the deacons doesn’t go well and we dump our frustration on our wife. It’s our first instinct. When we’re hurting, we want others to know.

But Peter reminds us that our first course of action (there may be others to follow but this must be first) must be to humble ourselves before the Lord. He is sovereign, so if He allowed this event to occur, He has our good in mind and certainly His glory.

Humility brings blessing.

The apostle Paul gives a similar exhortation in Ephesians 4:2-3 (NIV). “Be completely humble and gentle,” he says. And then adds, “Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace [italics added].”

Let’s not miss Paul’s connection between humility and unity. There can be no true unity without humility. The absence of humility creates a condition for conflict. When there’s humility, however, there’s the wonderful potential for glorious, joy-filled unity.

This is good news for pastors who are facing challenges. This is also good news for the people we shepherd. Humility brings blessing to relationships, in the churches we shepherd, in our families, in fact, in all our relationships.

“It takes ten hands to score a basket,” said the legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Indeed, humility brings blessing even to ball teams.

The pursuit of humility

The Bible addresses the pursuit of humility in such a helpful way. It doesn’t simply give us propositions, but a person. Jesus Christ said something quite revealing about Himself in Matthew 11:29. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus was humble. If anyone had a right to NOT be humble, it was Him. We’re talking about the Lord of the universe who prior to coming to earth received the worship of angels. But He left that (and so much more) and came to earth, took on flesh, and ultimately took up a cross.

My pastor friend, the call to Christlikeness is a call to humility. Think about it. What God commands us to do is what He Himself has done. God so loved the world that He humbled Himself. God gives us the perfect picture of humility.

The fruit of humility

I commend Stuart Scott’s booklet, From Pride to Humility, in which he identifies twenty-four manifestations of humility. I’ve adapted his list to the following ten indicators.

When I humble myself…

1. I focus on Christ
2. I trust in God rather than question Him
3. I pray a lot because I am so needy
4. I think about grace a lot
5. I thank God and others a lot
6. I see myself as no better than others
7. I have an accurate view of my gifts and abilities
8. I am a good listener
9. I am grateful for criticism or reproof
10. I am quick to admit when I am wrong

Each of the above insights is worthy of a pastor’s careful attention, but particularly the last three. A prime evidence of pastoral pride is talking too much (particularly about oneself). When I exhibit humility, however, I do the opposite.

Are you a good listener?

I know you’re a pastor and therefore talk to lot of people. But there’s a difference between having conversations with people and actually listening to them. Do you listen well? How would your wife answer that question? If the answer is no, it’s likely more than a hearing problem. It’s a heart problem.

Humble people operate with the understanding that other people have important things to say. Other people have experiences to share, and family stories to tell, and personal challenges as well. The humble pastor asks good questions and then listens. He takes heed to James 1:19, which says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Can you be wrong?

Let’s take it a step further. Humble people also admit they don’t know everything. Because they know they are sinners, they aren’t surprised when criticism comes from time to time. When it does, they put into practice Proverbs 9:8. “Rebuke a wise man and he will love you.” Accepting criticism is not natural. Rather, it is compelling evidence that grace is at work.

Here are three sentences that a proud pastor never says:

1. “You are right.”
2. “I was wrong.”
3. “Thank you for telling me.”

When was the last time you spoke such words to your wife, or to one of your children, or to a deacon at the church? Yet humility goes even further. Not only does a humble pastor admit when he is wrong, but he also asks for forgiveness for the wrong.

My pastor friend, when was the last time you experienced the painful joy of asking someone to forgive you? Yes, it’s painful. And pride-crushing. But oh how joyful it is as well! What sweetness of soul results when we humbly seek forgiveness.

Think of it this way. The reason humble pastors admit their sin rather than justify it is because they have found a solution for their sin. All of it. Where? At the cross of Jesus. Indeed, humble pastors think about the cross a lot.

One final word of caution is in order. Let’s not merely admire humility, but cultivate it by the grace of God, starting right now.

Cultivating humility: A ministerial action plan for the next three minutes

1. Spend sixty seconds meditating on Proverbs 29:23. Read it slowly and prayerfully. “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.”

2. Invest another sixty seconds reading (singing is even better) this third stanza from Elizabeth Clephane’s beloved hymn, Beneath the Cross of Jesus.

I take, O cross, thy shadow

For my abiding place;

I ask no other sunshine than

The sunshine of His face;

Content to let the world go by,

To know no gain nor loss;

My sinful self my only shame,

My glory all the cross.

3. Finally, spend another sixty seconds expressing a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His sufficient grace. He truly does give grace to the humble (James 4:6).

©2025 Brad Brandt. All rights reserved. Used with permission.