Someone to Talk To

“I just need someone to talk to,” “I need some advice,” “I need someone who can keep confidences.” We hear these and similar comments on a daily basis from preachers, often numerous times throughout a day. There are struggles and difficulties that enter our lives as ministers that we should not try to bear alone.

If you have a loving, supportive, and caring wife, she is probably your most trusted confidante. Yet there are times that we will need more than one person to help us with an issue.

The worst thing we can do when we feel we’ve been treated unfairly by someone or we feel overburden with something is to attempt to get through it alone.

Understanding that some matters are confidential, we are not built to get through some situations by ourselves. We all understand why our brother Paul tells us that we should help one another bear the weight of life’s burdens.

Of course, building a relationship that affords us the freedom to talk with someone about “life” isn’t a quick, easy process. But it is crucial.

We have seen too many preachers who have burned out, fallen into sin, or made some doctrinal blunder due to problems that burden them to the point of exhaustion. I can’t tell you how often I’ve witnessed this and though, “I wish that brother had spoken with someone before he had made that decision.”

For us to be able to seek counsel is going to require some humility and some effort. If we think we can’t be wrong or we are not willing to make that phone call, we may find ourselves in a bad place.

Our dear Preaching brothers, if you are struggling, don’t go it alone. Reach out to someone who can at least offer a listening ear and hopefully some healthy advice. It might be one of life’s greatest blessings.