10 Keys to Being a Healthy Pastor

 

Healthy pastors lead healthy churches. Tim Peters' advice will bring health and peace to your soul. Healthy pastors lead healthy churches.  Below are keys to being a healthy pastor.  Do not skip over #1.

1. Let God restore your soul daily.

Psalm 23.                    Matthew 11:28.

Worship.  Prayer.  Solitude.  Listening.  Bible reading.

Averill quote: I pray for you to know the REST of Jesus in all things.The enemy will deceitfully persuade you that you have many things to accomplish in order to keep things running.  I am all too aware of this temptation.  Simplicity in Christ leads us to only one thing to do- let Christ do it.

2.  Give your marriage priority attention.

A bad marriage ruins the rest of life.  (Remember the Proverbs.)

A good marriage fortifies you for the rest of life.

Is your home a tunnel of chaos or an oasis of rest?

 

3. Work with your personal rhythms.

For me:  start early, try to leave early.

Creative work in the mornings.

Between 4-7 p.m.--not my best time for mental focus.

 

4.  Keep your Sabbath rest.

A principle of creation:  rest one day in seven.

Sabbath is a day to pray and play.

Eugene Peterson:  hike all day.

 

5.  Do the things only you can do – and delegate the rest.

Be ruthless in simplifying your work.

Empower others!

Take some time now to save much time later.

6.  Focus on results not time at work.

40-50 hours a week, total for me.

However, the point is not to clock your time but to get things done.

Focus on your highest impact activities.

Managers do things right.  Leaders do the right things.

 

7.  Get regular exercise and eat healthy.

For me:  weight lift and cardio 4-5 times per week

If you are healthier and fit, you can work harder and you will last longer.

Exercise is a huge stress reliever.

Avoid the Three White Killers: salt, sugar, and flour.

8. Ask for help.

Secrets are dangerous.

Need help?  In the last 18 months, has a trusted person told you, “I think you need to talk to somebody about that”?  If the answer is yes, get help.

Every prominent Christian leader and pastor I know regularly visits a counselor.  It is okay to ask for help.

9.  Let God heal your anger.

Ask God to show you…heal you.

Ask a close friend if you seem angry.

Consider:  Elder prayer, counseling, talking with an insightful friend.

This is enormously important!

10. Don’t be crushed by criticism.

Consider the source.

Be willing to receive criticism from trustworthy people – people who are for you, who are insightful, who are not negative.

Consider if you are a pleaser.  Galatians 1:10

 

 

by Tim Peters