Oh, I’m Stressed
Ministry is stressful. That’s a no-brainer, right? In fact, it’s a human way of life. Everyone deals with stress. It comes at you from every direction. It pounds at you relentlessly, and every now and then, you get a brief break, and then it’s right back on top of you. I remember a vacation we took several years ago with our family. We were at a theme park that was promoted as being the happiest place on earth. We drove all day to get there, arrived at the hotel exhausted, stood in line to get checked in, and then finally made our way to our room and fell asleep. The alarm went off early, jarring us into reality. A quick breakfast and we drove to the park. We pulled in and then stood in line to get on a shuttle that would take us to the entrance, where we then took a tram to get us to the park. Inside were people moving in every direction, and more lines, and more people. By the end of the day, we were observing formerly happy families melting down all around us. Stress was everywhere. Welcome to vacation life! After our week away, I remember getting home and hitting the ground running as I returned to work. As I got in my truck, the battery was dead – Stress! As I checked the pile of messages waiting for me at the office – Stress! As I listened to voicemails – Stress! As I counted the days to my next vacation – Stress!
According to a study by the Stress Institute, 44% of all Americans say they have more stress now than they had five years ago. And if that’s true, that means our stress is growing at a rate of almost 10% a year. In fact, 1 in 5 people interviewed said they were in extreme stress, meaning you can feel it in your body, you’re shaking, your heart is racing, you’re not sleeping well, you’re depressed. 1 out of 5. That sounds pretty epidemic, if you ask me. And they say that 60% of all illnesses and diseases have their root in our stress levels. So, it’s playing a role in how sick we’re getting.
Stress can hit us from many directions. It can be found in our relationships. It can be found in our ministry. Every week, there is a sermon deadline. Every week, we spend time counseling others and stepping into their pain. We deal with conflict. There is stress as we face illness. There is parenting stress. There is the insane stress we face in the expectations of others. Everybody wants and expects something from you, and you guessed it, it causes stress! There is the stress of our own unresolved issues and sin, and the fear of who can I talk to, and where is a safe place I can deal with that. And then on top of all that, throw in college football and the stress that brings (at least it seems to bring stress to my life). Jokes aside, Jesus even told us in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in ME you may have peace. In this world you WILL have trouble. (Not might, you will! It’s going to happen, but Jesus says…) But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
STRESS IS A FACT OF LIFE, EVEN FOR PASTORS.
See, I can’t promise you that you’ll never have problems. However, I can promise you that you will have problems. But here’s what you need to know: In the midst of your problems, you can have peace, and that is so important. Here’s another one, Psalm 34:19, “Many (Many!) are the afflictions of the righteous person, (Even for those who love God.) but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Notice, He doesn’t take them away. He gives you the capacity in the middle of the thing to stand strong. Notice in the verse where it says, “Many are the afflictions…” The word for afflictions in the Old Testament Hebrew is the same word as an Assyrian form of torture, where they would tie you up, and then cover you with heavy rocks and huge stones, until they crush you. Many times, for pastors that’s what ministry can feel like. If someone puts one more stone on me, if one more thing happens in my life, I’m not going to make it.
One of our goals at Pastor to Pastor is to come alongside you, as someone who knows the stress that you face on a day-to-day basis. We want to be a safe place where you can talk through the stress of your life and find the courage to walk through it and deal with it in a healthy way. Each one of our leaders have years of pastoral ministry and we can understand the stress you face every day. So for this post, let me give you a scripture that has brought great comfort to my life. It is found in Psalm 62:5-8, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”
And then it puts a little word that's found 77 times in the Psalms. It’s a musical term, Selah. Remember the Psalms were actually songs, and the word “Selah” means to stop, to rest, and to think about it. Selah literally means to rest in your deep reflections and think about these things.
In my life, I have found that I need people in my life who can help me stop, reflect, and remember the promises of God. I need people who can help me remember that there is rest in the Lord and that God is my rock, my fortress, and my refuge. If you are facing a time of burnout in your life, we have resources here on our website to help you. We have pastors available in a lot of different ways, who can encourage you, speak life into you, and help you find your way back to the rest that is available in Christ. Take time, explore the different options, and let us be an encouragement to help you today. “Selah!”
