In keeping with Pastor Appreciation Month, here is a self-check to see how and in what ways you are showing appreciation and affection for the pastor(s) whom God has given you and the church. This is an application of 1 Corinthians 13, and is taken from Appendix S of the book, The Perfect Pastor?
It certainly challenges me in some areas and encourages in other ways. Enjoy, and then apply!
Don

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All of these qualities of love find their source and perfect expression in God through Jesus Christ. If I am truly in Christ, I should express these loving qualities more and more, even toward my pastor. Fill in the blank spaces with your pastor’s name.

1. Does my communication with ____________________ come from a heart of love or am I just an irritating noise maker (1 Cor. 13:1)?

2. Do I use the gifts God has given me to lovingly serve ____________________ (1 Cor. 13:2)?

3. Do I love ____________________ sacrificially? In what specific ways do I do so (1 Cor. 13:3)?

4. Am I patient with ____________________? In other words, do I show an enduring restraint with him even when I have a right to act? Do I restrain my words and actions when wronged or provoked when I have a right to act, unless there is a particular sin I need to address through gentle rebuke (Matt. 18:15-22; Gal. 6:1).

5. Am I kind toward ____________________? Kindness proceeds from a tender heart that contributes to his good will and happiness (1 Cor. 13:4).

6. I am not envious of ____________________. I do not feel an uneasiness with the excellence, reputation, or happiness he enjoys. I have no desire to depreciate him (1 Cor. 13:4).

7. I do not brag about myself to ____________________. This means that I do not have an anxious display of myself for the purpose of elevating my own life, especially at the expense of putting him down. I do not campaign for the center of attention (1 Cor. 13:4).

8. I am not arrogant, puffed up or swollen with a proud vanity around him (1 Cor. 13:4).

9. I am considerate and not rude with ____________________. I do not act unbecomingly or unseemly toward him, nor unnecessarily embarrass him (1 Cor. 13:5).

10. I seek ____________________’s greatest good and benefit (1 Cor. 13:5).

11. I am not easily provoked or angered by ____________________. I do not have a trigger temper that stems from bitterness (1 Cor. 13:5).

12. I do not keep a record of the wrongs suffered by ____________________ from which to make a plan for retaliation. Especially since Jesus Christ took the registry of my sins and my pastor’s sins and paid for them with his own sacrificial life and death (1 Cor. 13:5).

13. I do not rejoice in unrighteousness or evil done by or done to ___________________. I do not find pleasure in his demise, or in rumors about his sin, but instead I seek out the truth (1 Cor. 13:6).

14. I am able to bear all things with ____________________. That means I protect his reputation, welfare or life (1 Cor. 13:7).

15. I put the best construction regarding ____________________ and see things about him from a good and positive light, unless there is sufficient evidence to believe otherwise (1 Cor. 13:7).

16. I have a positive and sure expectation that through Jesus Christ God will work all things together for ____________________’s good. I actively promote the hope of Christ with my pastor (1 Cor. 13:7).

17. My love endures and perseveres. Therefore, I find ways to encourage my pastor to persevere in his life, walk and service in Christ (1 Cor. 13:7).