Pastors are close to God's heart

from Chris Blumhofer, Associate Editor, BuildingChurchLeaders.com:

Be careful what you say about pastors," my father once told me. "The Lord sees his servants as the apple of his eye."
Those words have haunted me at various moments in my adult life. I often recollect them after my critical tongue has unjustly lashed out against a ministry or a leader. As a pastor once reminded me: "Words spoken—even when retracted—remain said." When we criticize or gossip about those whom God has called to lead, we risk attacking a person or a work that's close to his heart.