Stresses of life

In my devotional reading this morning the author reminded his readers that "When the stresses of life become too great, pastors typically focus on the negative aspects of ministry."  What a great reminder that we cannot put our lives in tidy little boxes.  The stresses we feel in our family relationships, our ministries, our other jobs, and from the additional responsibilities we all have will impact how we view our ministries.  Conversely, the reverse is also true.  The frustrations we feel in ministry will carry over into other areas of our lives as well.  This makes it imperative that we find healthy ways of dealing with the various stressors that will impact our lives.

For some people exercise is a great way to deal with stress.  Running, walking, working out in a gym can all help alleviate stress.  Reading is one of the ways I've found most helpful.  Sometimes I'll take a break from what I'm doing and pick up a book to get my mind off some issue that is bothering me.  If I take a concern to bed with me, and who in ministry hasn't done that, I may get up in the middle of the night to sit and read for a half-hour or so until I'm able to refocus my thinking.  Other people will call a friend or coach to talk through an issue and try to get closure on it.

One important way to reduce the stress you feel is to get control of your schedule.  This will require you to prioritize the various demands on your life and schedule time for the most important.  I know ministry has a funny way of interrupting your best plans, but at least you've set priorities for your life and ministry to which you can return when the interruption has been resolved.  You won't be able to do this, however, until you learn to say no to some good opportunities people bring you.  No minister, and certainly no bivocational minister, can do everything he or she is asked to do.  Once you've determined the most important things on which to focus your attention you are in a better position to say no to other requests.

One final thing to mention is maintaining good health.  This includes getting sufficient sleep, eating healthy foods, exercising, practicing a Sabbath, and maintaining a balanced life.  Busy pastors can soon discover that grabbing a sandwich from a drive-through may get you to the next appointment quicker, but it's not the best thing you can do for your overall health and well-being.  There are too many stresses involved when we are not healthy to neglect this important aspect of our lives.

We'll never avoid all the stressors that present themselves to us, but we can deal with them in healthy ways so they have limited impact on our ministries, our relationships, and our own personal well-being.  Find the tools that work for you in reducing the stress in your life and put them to work.