Good Morning Pastor!
This is the day that the Lord has made, truly we should rejoice and enjoy what He has given to us. Perhaps this is the day to write down your blessings and share them with your spouse. Being reminded of our blessings helps us to keep things in perspective, even when we are having trouble seeing the positive side of things.
Recently I met with a pastor who was experiencing burnout. Burnout usually comes with the feelings of inadequacy and perhaps even a sense of failure. Unfortunately most pastors must keep on their game face in their churches and with their denominational officials. Therefore, they find it difficult to know where to turn or who to trust when they feel overwhelmed and over worked. It is a sad state of affairs. Who is going to minister to the pastor? And how does the pastor know when he needs ministering to?
There are some telltale signs when the pastor is in need of rest. One of the first is a sudden piling up of unfinished work or missed deadlines. This can include last minute sermon preparation and/or forced preparation. Sermon preparation is something that must be scheduled during the week and, barring emergencies, maintained consistently. If you are suddenly preparing sermons on a Saturday night or even early Sunday morning and that is not your regular routine, you probably need a break.
A very successful pastor that I know takes and entire month off at a time each years for vacation. I have always found that would be difficult for me to do but he says that he needs that. He says that it takes him three weeks to be able to rest to enjoy the fourth week. That may or may not work for you but quality vacation time is essential to maintain good emotional and physical well-being as a pastor.
If you haven’t planned your vacation yet, get on it. Take it all and get away to keep yourself fresh and alive for your church. If you are in a critical time when you need more encouragement than a normal vacation offers, there are Christian retreat centers that can be of great help to you, your spouse, your marriage and your family. Please contact me for referrals to some great places to enjoy rest and healing.
In His Delight,
Lyn Sahr
Prov. 3:13
