Last week I took the risk of being real. I shared five confessions about myself and my feelings about ministry. Not because I’m in trouble or on the verge of quitting. But because ministry is hard, harder than those outside of ministry realize. I’m doing this in an effort to encourage other ministers who may be harboring and hiding some of these same thoughts.

Thank you for allowing me to be real. And think with me about five more confessions.

I’ve served in vocational ministry for 20 years, but usually I try to talk people out of going into full-time ministry. Not because we don’t need more ministers, but because most people outside of ministry don’t know the cost.

I didn’t either. When I was ordained, full of a vision to save the world, I didn’t know the toll or the challenge. I didn’t anticipate a day like I had not long ago. In one 24-hour period I went from speaking and leading in public, to walking through death and personal hell with people I love, to celebrating new life with another couple whose baby had just been born. The emotional peaks and valleys were like the highs and lows of an EKG.

Anyone who’s given their life to ministry knows ministry is tough. Honestly, it’s been really good for me, in many ways in many places. But I can honestly say the last two weeks have been the most emotionally trying in my 20 years of ministry.

The catalyst for my pain was the suffering of two families I love.

To the list of qualities most often associated with successful leaders, I want to add one not often considered.

An effective leader is attentive—not only to the other leaders in his organization, but to people in general.

I thought of this as I reflected on Mark Moore’s visit to Christ’s Church a couple of weeks ago. We were challenged and motivated and informed by his sermon, of course. It was a great boost to all of us working through his Core 52 Bible study.