I was reading Perry Nobles blog when he mentioned this…

I don’t know if this helps you–but it has helped me. Pastors, we will always experience hurt in ministry. But, if I may use a sports analogy, the players that we most admire are the ones that play hurt and still make things happen. This rung true with me at C3 this past year when Craig Groeschel said that pastors play hurt every week.

I was there at C3 when Craig Groeschel said that and I think it impacted every pastor in the room.  The truth is that when you’re a pastor, you are a pretty easy target at times and you take a lot of hits.  However, real leaders play hurt.  They get in the game and take the bumps and bruises in stride because they’re focused on the big picture and the ultimate goal.

I respect athletes that can take a hit and stay in the game.  I respect leaders that can do that even more.