The Pastor is like a Mother

"The affectionate desire of a mother for her child is the quintessential emotion of motherhood. Though it may seem inexplicable under a purely rational analysis, it is a natural God-given aspect of the mother's relationship with her child. The mother with an infant in her arms has such a found affection for her little one that she will go to amazing extremes of self-sacrifice and inconvenience to nurture and care for her child.As every mother knows there are no kudos for this, no laurels, no public recognition, and no riches to be gained from mothering. The payback includes lots of crying, dirty diapers, sleepless nights, runny noses, frequent illnesses, and loads and loads of laundry. It's hard work and nonstop duty, yet faithful mothers are motivated by affectionate desire for that little life in their arms.In a similar way, the faithful spiritual leader is driven by affectionate desire for those in his care. It is a yearning for their welfare, a zeal for their spiritual well being that motivates the leader to impart not only the gospel but also his very life."John MacArthur on spiritual leadership