Pastoring is hard work. But should it be this hard?
According to a popular article by Philip Wagner, business guru Peter Drucker (maybe) said that the four hardest jobs in America are:
- The President of the United States
- A university president
- A CEO of a hospital
- A pastor
If this is true, we’re not doing pastoring right.
So, I’ve assembled a short list that has helped me make pastoring less burdensome and far more joyful.
1. Stop Being a Martyr
Many of us work ridiculous hours in ministry because we have a desperate need to be everyone’s hero.
We like hearing that our job is hard. We thrive on it.
Yes, martyrdom is sometimes considered a spiritual gift, but I’m pretty sure Paul was talking about the kind of gift you only get to use once—not the gift that keeps on giving.
2. Start Making Disciples
Any church that requires the pastor to do all the ministry is unhealthy. Whatever its size. And so is its pastor.
Making disciples is the pastor’s primary calling (Eph 4:11-12). In the short run it may seem easier to do the work yourself, but in the long run it will ruin you—and cripple your church.
Jesus was so committed to discipleship that he sent the 72 out before they were fully prepared, because doing the task was part of their training (Luke 10:20).
Discipleship was central to Jesus’ mission. It should be central to ours.
Don’t wait. Start now.
3. Stop Obsessing Over Growth—Or Lack of Growth
I’ve read hundreds of articles on pastoral burnout. They list many valid factors, including financial pressure, motivation by guilt, not taking a Sabbath, and more.
But there’s almost always one factor missing. And it may be the biggest reason of all, as I wrote in De-sizing the Church, we’re obsessed with building bigger churches. And that obsession is burning many good pastors out.
Wanting the church to grow is appropriate, especially if it’s driven by leading people to Christ. But obsessing over rising numbers—and the dark side of depression that happens when the numbers don’t materialize—is creating a lot of burnt out pastors and unhealthy churches.
If pastoring really is as hard as Drucker says, let’s be grateful to God for a healthy church, without adding the burden of continual numerical growth as a completely unnecessary brick to our load.
4. Listen to Our Own (and Jesus’) Advice
How many sermons have we preached on “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30), only to walk out of church with the weight of the world on our own shoulders?
How many times have we taught our church about the value of Sabbath while working 24/7, ourselves?
How many times have we told people to put their family ahead of their work, but have put off our own family for church work?
How often have we encouraged others about the value of daily devotions while going all week without opening our own Bible—only to scramble through it on a Saturday night looking for sermon material?
How many more pastors have to burn themselves out like this before we realize . . .
It doesn’t have to be this hard.
(Photo by José Pérez Cuervo | Flickr)
