Where would you be, spiritually, without your pastor?

Albert Camus was born into a desperately poor family in Algeria. His father died when Camus was an infant, his mother was illiterate, and his family expected him to leave school and go to work.

But one of his elementary school teachers, Louis Germain, saw something in him. Germain persuaded Camus’s family to allow him to continue his education, tutored him without charge, and helped him compete for a scholarship that made secondary school possible.

Camus went on to become one of the most celebrated writers of the twentieth century. In 1957, thirty-three years later, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

After receiving the news, Camus wrote to his former teacher. He told Germain that after thinking of his mother, he had thought of him.

“Without you … without your teaching and example, none of all this would have happened.”

It’s not uncommon for most of us to have a moment – or a few – in life where we realize the impact of someone or something on our lives and think, “Where would I be without …?”

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and for many who profess to follow Christ, this is a good time to consider where you would b, spiritually, without your pastor.

It has been my observation for a very long time that for many Christians, most of what they know about God, or Jesus Christ, or Christianity mostly comes from a single source (other than the Bible … and for some, even more than the Bible!): their pastor. For many, even most of their knowledge of scripture comes from one sermon a week … from their pastor.

For many Christians, without their pastor they would likely be less biblically knowledgeable, less spiritually mature, less equipped to apply Scripture to life, less consistently challenged toward obedience, and less supported through spiritual struggles and crises.

In some cases, they might never have clearly understood the gospel, developed foundational Christian beliefs, learned how to follow Christ practically, or persevered through seasons when their faith was severely tested.

The central answer to the question of where would they be spiritually without their pastor is: they would not be spiritually where they are today.

And that’s a good reason why we have Pastor Appreciation Month.

If your pastor has had a similar influence on who you are spiritually, make sure they know how much you appreciate their impact in your life.

Scotty