Ministry leaders work a lot. They work odd hours and long hours. And there is always something to do. Rest is not a word that is talked about a lot in ministry. Sure, there is a lot of lip service to taking a sabbath but if you poll a lot of ministry leaders, it would be interested to see how many people take a regular day of rest and sabbath.
While ministry leaders always worked a lot, the COVID pandemic escalated the amount of work ministry leaders did. Never before under such a short time did ministry leaders have to learn and adjust on the fly like they did in that first year of the COVID pandemic. There was not a lot of rest going on for ministry leaders.
However, while the pandemic is gone now, the pace as which ministry leaders have gone at remains largely unchanged. Ministry leaders are working more and rest is taking a back seat. And that’s not healthy for anyone. And restauranteur Charlie Trotter is a perfect example.
The Tragedy of Charlie Trotter
Charlie was not a ministry leader. He was a chef and restauranteur who had one of the top restaurants in all of Chicago from 1987-2012. He was internationally recognized getting a 2 star Michelin rating. While he was a huge success, he was constantly work, often sleeping at the restaurant and working everyday. Unfortunately, after he closed his world famous restaurant, he tragically had a stroke less than 2 years later. It was also noted in the documentary, Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter, that after he stopped working, he had lost a sense of identify and ultimately lost himself.
Charlie worked so much it cost him two marriages, a ton of talented chefs and ultimately his life as he didn’t take care of his health as he should have. Unfortunately, ministers are not immune to this kind of tragic ending. Too many burnout, lose their marriages and ultimately the ministry because they do not take care of themselves.
How to Rest
So what can you do to rest? How can you do it?
- Schedule regular days of rest. Set aside one day a week for complete rest from ministry work. And actually KEEP IT up! Use these times to recharge spiritually, mentally, and physically.
- Engage in outside of ministry hobbies or activities. When you work so much you can tend to forget who you are. That is why it is so important to pursue interests outside of ministry, such as reading, gardening, or sports. This helps create mental distance from ministry responsibilities.
- Take periodic retreats. Plan extended times away from regular ministry activities for reflection, prayer, and rest.
Conclusion
You are called to the position to where you are at. But don’t let your calling interfere with your real legacy. Don’t let it ruin you and ruin your relationship with your family. Don’t work so much that you deteriorate like Charlie Trotter when he stopped cooking and you pass away soon after. Take time to rest now. Take time to enjoy now with those who mean the most to you. You don’t know how much time you have here on this earth so make it count.
Before you finish reading this post, write down a quick action plan. What else stands out to you? Share them below or on social media.
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