Enjoying a balanced life and ministry

As a young bivocational pastor I adopted the attitude that I would rather burn out than rust out. That was really dumb! Either way, you're out! And I nearly was.

I've shared before in this space how, in the mid-1980s, I experienced clinical depression. For a year I took medication and visited a pastoral counselor every week as I worked my way out of that depression. I continued to function  reasonably well. I worked every day at my factory job and pastored the church, but it took all the energy I had to do that. There was not much left for my family or anyone else. It was a very rough time, and it could have all been avoided.

I had to learn how to maintain a healthy balance in my life. I had to learn how to set priorities and how to say no. I had to learn that not everything was an emergency that needed my immediate attention even if some people thought otherwise. I had to learn how to listen to my body and spirit when they would warn me I was about to get out of balance.

A few years ago I wrote The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Pressures of Ministry to share with other pastors some of the things I learned about maintaining balance in life and ministry. I thought it would be a valuable resource to the many pastors who struggle with such balance. Frankly, I've been surprised it has not sold as well as I thought. Either it has gotten lost in all the books published every year for pastors, or many in ministry are pretending they do not have a problem in this area. For some of the latter, I suggest you talk to your family members.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned during that period of my life was that if I didn't take care of myself I would soon be unable to take care of anyone. I could share story after story of the times I was present physically but not emotionally for my family and my congregation during that battle with depression. Believe me, you don't want to go through that.

To all my ministry friends out there, please take care of yourselves. Ministry is not a sprint; it is a long-distance event. Your church and your family needs you, and they need you at the top of your game. Don't allow the pressures of ministry rob you of important times with your family and your congregation. Create margin in your life and seek balance in all you do so you can enjoy the best life God has for you.