Alternate titles for this might be: Ways to Prevent Burnout. Or, How to Pastor the Saints Without Losing Your Religion. How to Mind God’s Work Without Losing Yours. How to Enter the Ministry Rejoicing and End the Same Way.
This list is as it occurs to me, and is neither definitive nor exhaustive. You’ll think of others.
One. Pace yourself. You’re in this for the long haul, not just till Sunday. Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. Among other things, this means you should not stay in the office too long, should not stay away from home too much, and should not become overly righteous.
Say what? The “overly righteous” line comes from Ecclesiastes, something they say Martin Luther claimed as one of his favorites. “Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?” (7:16). I interpret this to mean: “Don’t overdo it, pastor. Keep your feet on the ground, and your humanity intact.” It’s possible to be so religious you become a recluse, so devout you come to despise lesser humans, and so righteous you become a terror in the pulpit. Stay grounded, friend.
Two. Honor your days off with your spouse. Enlist the aid of your staff or key leadership to help you guard one day a week as time with your spouse. Then, work at keeping this as sacred as you do Sundays.
If you cannot allow yourself to ignore a ringing phone, turn it off. If you cannot do that, leave your phone with someone else. Block out of your mind everything waiting for you back in the office, the drama going on within the finance committee or deacons, and the issue with conflicting staff members. Try to give your attention to your wife for 24 hours. You will return to the church strengthened and freshened.
Three. Simplify. Pay attention to what in your daily routine wears you out and drains you of strength and energy. If they are ever-present and on-going, try to make changes. Even if you cannot cut those things out altogether, perhaps you can find how to lessen their impact. Consider sharing the load with a staff member, bringing in a couple of leaders to help, or rescheduling the toughest events.
Four. Learn what relaxes you, and what doesn’t. Notice which leisure activities you’ve been doing are not really helping, and cut them out. Replace them with something that will work.