3 reasons why pastors need rest

sarah opere

August 14, 2018 4:55 PM

There should be a family time and a time for ministry.

Church seeding can be exhausting. It takes all of your effort, and then a whole helping of God’s grace to establish a gospel outpost in a hard place.

But the God who called you there didn’t call you to work without ceasing. He gave you the work and invites you to rest. So, here are a few rest tips for you.

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1. Phones away

It sounds so simple, but it’s so hard. These little devices we carry to help us end up enslaving us. But when it’s time to rest, put your phone down. Your kids see you. Your wife sees you. When you’re with them, don't show them downcast eyes and a forehead titled toward a screen. Show them your face. To rest well, put the phone down.

2. Give yourself time to stop thinking

The larger our church gets the more complex and various our problems become. We assume you want your church to grow, right? Then just know that’s what you’re signing up for: a larger set of more complex problems. If that’s the case, how can we ever expect to stop? Simple: God has commanded it, so you must allow yourself to.

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3. Plan your sabbath

Stopping means planning. We know that the church “needs” you, and you’re super important to a lot of people. But if you’d like to continue being useful to your flock you’d better make a plan to be useless from time to time. If you have an assistant, ask them to help you. Do whatever you have to do, but get it in the calendar.

sarah opere