Will add my 2 cents to the issue of pastors and their mental health. Chris J Ateko wrote;
1. Reduce the pressure on yourself. God could have created the whole universe with one word. He did not. He decided to use 5 days, created man on the 6th and rested on the 7th. That “day” could have been any length of time because “one day with the Lord is like a thousand years”. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, don’t be under pressure to “succeed” already. Do not let people puff you up with their opinions and put pressure on you by telling you how big you are or should be.
2. Celebrate the process. Just like when you are raising children, you cannot rush the process of their growth. Everything God made was followed by, “and the Lord saw that it was good…”. Do not skip any stage. Enjoy having 5 members. You’ll miss that when you get to 50. When you have 500 you will still relish the moments and laugh about the struggles you went through with the 5. God is not just growing the ministry; He is growing the minister as well.
3. Ministry, especially what we call “church”, is like a gym; you lose your fat and gain His muscle. This cannot happen overnight. Sometimes we are so caught up with being big that we forget how to be healthy. The more you do the work of ministry the more your pride, ego, self-importance and elements of trust disappear like the fat in the gym. You begin to operate more by faith and humility. You are God’s project..the church is your project.. (we’ll talk about this another day).
4. Get a life outside of ministry. Music, sports, travelling, friendships etc all weave together the beautiful fabric of a complete minister. You don’t have to fast from Monday to Saturday..then from Sunday night begin again for the whole year. Paul says that fasting should be for a while, with consent from your spouse, and once done, get back to… wait for it.. SEX. Yes! Once you are through with fasting, go and make love to your spouse.. PASSIONATELY. Sex with your spouse doesn’t take away the anointing. (Let me leave this subject to Israel Robert Burale).
5. God rested from His work. Raise leaders and trust them enough to run things. One day you may need to be away. You could be incapacitated. You could have other challenges. Let the ministry be run from a team perspective. With time reduce your duties as you delegate most of them. Keep the essentials and define your parameters. Jesus did not baptize. The apostles did not serve tables. You cannot and should not do everything.
6. If possible, find another income-generating activity to engage your time. Some of the pastors who hold on to too much may have the fear of not being able to pay bills. Look for something that can help take care of your family. Yes, the ministry should take care of the minister, but you cannot force people to do what they either cannot or do not want to do.
7. Find friends with whom you talk about nothing. Laughter is medicine. Laugh. The Holy Spirit will not leave when you laugh. Laugh. Play. Be silly. Watch cartoons. Watch comedy. Be easy. Live life and live long.
8. Going for medical treatment, whether mental or physical, is not lack of faith. Look at the doctor as the mechanic of your body. I’ve never heard of a pastor who refused to take his car to the mechanic for service because he had faith the engine oil would change itself. Your body has its own dynamics. The anointing we have for healing is not for us.. it’s for the people.
9. Jesus was left by over 5000 people. God was left by one third of His angels. People will leave you. Find love in the right places. Don’t look for love in the wrong places. Don’t seek validation from numbers and members.
10. Having done all to stand, STAND! You’ve come a long way. You’ve invested so much time, energy, resources and prayers. You’ve made so many sacrifices. Lean on God for strength. Enjoy being a SON of the Father God, not just a servant.
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