One of the biggest challenges we face in ministry is SUSTAINING our inspiration and motivation, and our strength and resilience to challenges as we support others. What do we do once the conference glow subsides, when we’ve read the books, streamed the podcasts and yet we’re hit once again by overwhelm, compassion fatigue, and the stark reality of ministry life? How do we keep going – and not just by sheer grit and hernia inducing effort – in a healthy way, both as a follower of Jesus, and someone interested in self-care?
Sad Statistics
1 in 10 church leaders reported that their emotional wellbeing was poor or very poor.
(Changing Church Survey, EAUK, 2021)
These statistics from Soulshepherding.org are from the US but sadly reflect the state of many ministry workers:
- 75% of pastors report being “extremely stressed” or “highly stressed.”
- 90% work between 55 to 75 hours per week.
- 90% feel fatigued and worn out every week.
- 80% will not be in ministry ten years later and only a fraction makes it a lifelong career.
- 91% have experienced some form of burnout in ministry and 18% say they are “fried to a crisp right now.”
- 70% constantly fight depression.
- 50% feel so discouraged that they would leave their ministry if they could, but can’t find another job.
- 80% believe their pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families and 33% said it was an outright hazard.
- 85% have never taken a Sabbatical.
We have a very human problem – we are human.
Living the Ministry Life
Have you ever speed-read the gospels as they detail Jesus’ ministry? Jesus was here, there and everywhere – in high demand, he travelled far and wide, he had crowds who wanted something from him, he had religious and political leaders pitted against him, and he had a team of relatively unruly followers to work with. Some of that may sound familiar to your life in ministry and mission. But one thing that has always struck me about the ministry of Jesus is his attention to taking time out and seeking connection with his Father God.
‘At daybreak he went to a solitary place.’
‘Jesus withdrew to a solitary place.’
‘He went up the mountainside and prayed.’
Jesus’s approach to ministry seems almost counter intuitive. He didn’t wait until everyone had gone home, or for the prayer line to be finished. He left the crowds, almost escaped the ‘needs of the people’ to have solitary time praying. How could he?
I love the account of Jesus calming the storm…
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So, they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”. He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. [Luke 8:22-25, NIV]
Jesus had faith and trust in his Father – the Almighty sovereign God. THAT is where he placed his trust. He challenged the disciples, ’where is your faith?’ His challenge to us today is ‘What about you? Where is your faith placed?’
Jesus trusted his Father so implicitly that he had confidence to fall asleep in a boat, and sleep through a storm. He had confidence in God to such a level that he left the people who showed up needing things from him, trusting God’s sovereignty for each of their lives and situations.
So, I’m saying that if Jesus needed time out from the activity of ministry, to slow down, to spend time in the presence of his Father God praying, seeking direction and wisdom – then we should too – even more so!
So, what can we do?
1. Close walk with God.
What might this look like? Take a moment to reflect what this might look like for you.
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- Prayer
- Bible reading
- Meditation and listening to God
- Journalling
- Gratitude
- Praise and worship
2. Practice good self-care
What might this look like? Take a moment to reflect what this might look like for you.
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- Sleep and rest
- Exercise
- Healthy eating
- Friendships
- Boundaries – saying a healthy No
- Joy bringing activities
- Self-compassion
3. Be filled, and be being filled, with compassion for others, and yourself.
Compassion will no doubt have been an initial motivator for your ministry. Compassion Int’l define it this way: ‘to empathize with someone who is suffering and to feel compelled to reduce their suffering. Compassion gets involved. While others keep their distance from those who are suffering, compassion prompts us to act on their behalf.’ Our compassion for others can be a wonderful heart driven motivator but it can also be an unhelpful boundary-less, chaotic and over-hyped sense of responsibility that leaves us emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically bankrupt.
Jesus was moved with compassion….and he acted; he did things as a result. But he did this from a place of complete trust in his Father, and from a place of rest. I recently heard a leader say, ‘rest from a place of satisfaction, not exhaustion’. Working from rest need not be pie in the sky if we take the time to care for ourselves.
We must have compassion as Jesus did – but not at the expense of rest. And we must rest, but not at the expense of being moved with compassion for those around us. Balance like Jesus did; have compassion in control.
Take a moment to reflect on the health of your compassion levels, including self-compassion.
And I close with this thought from St Augustine:
Pray as if all depended on God. Work as if all depended on you.
Go gently.