Month: June 2026

The Power of Routine in Pastoral Ministry

One word that best captures pastoral ministry is routine – saying and doing the same things again and again. Not out of emptiness, but out of faithfulness.

I was freshly reminded of this truth in 2 Peter 1:12-15. Apostle Peter is nearing the end of his life, and writes: “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder… And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.”

The Apostle Paul also echoes this exact sentiment in Philippians 3:1: “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.”

Dear pastor, this is your primary calling: to proclaim the same old gospel, over and over again. Never be ashamed to repeat yourself. Never succumb to the temptation to reinvent the gospel out of fear that your people will grow bored of the saving news of Christ. Martin Luther was right when he observed, “Pastors and their people need to hear the Gospel every day, because we forget it every day.”

We are a forgetful people. Our hearts leak. We drift. We grow numb to grace. Therefore, the routine of preaching Christ crucified is never a failure of pastoral creativity—it is the mercy of God to spiritual amnesiacs. If you are a pastor, you have been called to a holy routine:

To stand in the same pulpit.

To open the same Book.

To lift up the same Savior.

To remind the same souls.

Embrace it. Rejoice in it. Yours is a high calling of sacred repetition.

Finding Comfort in True Friendship: Lessons from Onesiphorus

Onesiphorus is one of the most obscure figures in the New Testament. We read of him and his household in 2 Timothy 1:16-18 and 2 Timothy 4:19. Although little is known about his life, the few verses in which Paul mentions him speak volumes about his character. He was a man who stood firmly by Paul during the lowest point of his imprisonment—a loyal friend who embraced massive personal risk for the sake of friendship.

While Paul languished in prison awaiting execution, most of his friends and colleagues abandoned him (2 Timothy 1:15). In contrast, Onesiphorus—whose very name means “one who brings profit or benefit”—was not ashamed of Paul’s chains. He chose to associate himself with a condemned prisoner, fully aware that doing so could provoke the wrath of the Roman authorities.

Furthermore, Onesiphorus diligently searched the huge and overcrowded city of Rome until he located Paul. Because the Romans did not publicize their prisons, it took relentless determination for Onesiphorus to find the exact cell where Paul was held. Once there, he visited and refreshed Paul, most likely with words of encouragement, practical supplies, and the deep companionship Paul so desperately needed. It is no wonder Paul calls him a “refresher.”

We all need people like Onesiphorus in our lives, especially those in leadership. Therefore, we should pray that the Lord brings such loyal, available, and refreshing individuals into our lives. At the same time, we must also seek the grace to become an Onesiphorus to those around us. Ultimately, that is exactly who Christ is—the true and greater Onesiphorus, who promises to be with us and never forsake us until the end of the age.