A few weeks ago I was asked to speak on the topic: "What do today's pastors obsess on?" I was intrigued by the question. Having spent the last 20 years of my life talking with pastors and editing a journal for them, I reflected on the recurring and revealing comments I've heard from church leaders that provide a clue to their obsessions.

Here are two obsessions that I've observed:

REWARDS

By rewards, I do NOT mean financial. Most pastors don't get into the ministry for the money, and they're amazingly satisfied with the salaries they receive even though they're below the level of other professions requiring comparable education. (A survey by Leadership indicates that 68 percent of pastors consider themselves "well paid" or "fairly well paid," and only 32 percent are "underpaid" or "severely underpaid.")

But my observation is that pastors are most definitely seeking a reward. Whenever I ask, "What motivates you?" ...