Spurgeon once said that many church members are like a neighbor’s pigs “all grunt and no bacon” and sadly the description fits far too many: believers whose contribution to Christ’s Kingdom is little more than a sour complaint. One pastor even lamented that a certain member was such a roadblock that if he joined the devil’s church, hell itself would start to crumble. Instead of manifesting the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance some Christians offer nothing but criticism and grumbling, though Scripture never lists grunting as a spiritual virtue. And if someone thinks the problem is their pastor, the answer is not more grumbling but more grace: show love, thoughtfulness, and help the shock might kill him, but the change will do you good.

Spurgeon once said that many church members are like a neighbor’s pigs “all grunt and no bacon” and sadly the description fits far too many: believers whose contribution to Christ’s Kingdom is little more than a sour complaint. One pastor even lamented that a certain member was such a roadblock that if he joined the devil’s church, hell itself would start to crumble. Instead of manifesting the fruit of the Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance some Christians offer nothing but criticism and grumbling, though Scripture never lists grunting as a spiritual virtue. And if someone thinks the problem is their pastor, the answer is not more grumbling but more grace: show love, thoughtfulness, and help the shock might kill him, but the change will do you good.

A recent study has revealed a shameful truth about the American church: the average pastor earns just $10,348 a year well below the federal poverty line with 14% earning under $6,000 and only 5% receiving more than $15,000. Meanwhile, truck drivers, electricians, lawyers, and dentists earn many times more, showing plainly that church members demand much from their pastors while valuing them little. Scripture, however, commands the opposite: faithful ministers who labor in Word and doctrine are to be counted worthy of “double honor” that is, double pay (1 Tim. 5:17–18). In biblical language, honor means compensation, and what we pay reveals what we truly esteem. To underpay a godly pastor is to dishonor not only him but Christ Himself. If a man is unfit for ministry, he should leave for the church’s sake but if he is faithful, he should be honored accordingly. The question is unavoidable: does our treatment of Christ’s servants reveal honor or contempt?