Avoiding Ministry Burnout

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00:00:05.000 | Scott writes in to ask, "Hi, Pastor John. I've been a youth pastor in California

00:00:08.880 | for about 10 years, and I'm wondering if you can give me some tips on how to

00:00:12.160 | avoid burnout. I want to serve faithfully and for the long haul."

00:00:18.000 | Great question, Scott. Let me just give you some bullet points here.

00:00:22.000 | Number one, love what you do.

00:00:25.000 | Find those wonderful aspects of your job that are really useful for the young people

00:00:31.000 | and really godly and really fit you, and give yourself to those.

00:00:36.000 | Do the other stuff that you have to do, but do what you love to do.

00:00:41.000 | I think after 33 years in the ministry, I can say that one of the reasons I lasted

00:00:47.000 | is because I found those aspects of the ministry that I just love to do.

00:00:52.000 | I did those with all my heart most of the time and was energized enough

00:00:58.000 | to do the parts that weren't as pleasing because I glutted myself on the parts

00:01:04.000 | that I really love to do. So that's number one. Love what you do.

00:01:08.000 | Number two, linger with the Lord every day.

00:01:12.000 | Find a time, find a place, stay with Him, listen to Him, be real with Him,

00:01:16.000 | get to know Him. This is not a performance there or in the service of your kids.

00:01:21.000 | Come out of the closet with the aroma of Christ on you.

00:01:25.000 | Act out of the overflow of what Jesus is to you and you're lingering with Him.

00:01:31.000 | Third, ask the Lord for perseverance.

00:01:35.000 | Ask Him to protect you from burnout.

00:01:38.000 | That seems so simple and yet I think a lot of pastors don't do it.

00:01:41.000 | I think I probably prayed Psalm 16.1 as much as anything,

00:01:45.000 | "Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge."

00:01:49.000 | And what I meant was, "Don't let me quit. Don't let me get so discouraged

00:01:53.000 | I want to walk away. Don't let me not like this ministry.

00:01:57.000 | Restore the joy of the ministry to me every day."

00:02:00.000 | So pray that He would give you the persevering power that you need.

00:02:06.000 | Here's another one. Keep Sabbath. That is, keep one day in seven to disengage.

00:02:13.000 | Go out to pasture. You're not just a shepherd, you're a sheep,

00:02:17.000 | and sheep need food. Find what spiritually refreshes you on that so-called day off.

00:02:25.000 | And don't default to the world's way.

00:02:29.000 | Movie and supper, movie and supper, movie and supper.

00:02:33.000 | That's what the world does to kick back every Friday night.

00:02:36.000 | And what do you do? You go to bed defiled most of the time

00:02:40.000 | with a sense of uncleanness that you went to a movie that,

00:02:43.000 | well, you might be able to find some kind of redeeming feature in it,

00:02:46.000 | but there was enough risque clothing or no clothing and enough bad language

00:02:52.000 | and enough mean-spiritedness that you are not spiritually refreshed.

00:02:58.000 | So find—God has a huge, big, beautiful world and lots of works and lots of books.

00:03:04.000 | Find what refreshes your soul. And then get exercise.

00:03:09.000 | Beat your body, Scott. Hammer it three times a week.

00:03:14.000 | Make it sweat and be exhausted. It will reap mental benefits you cannot measure.

00:03:21.000 | I mean that. There is something going on with that that God knows about

00:03:25.000 | and some psychiatrists know about, but very few people know about,

00:03:30.000 | and it makes a difference. And sleep eight hours a night.

00:03:35.000 | Nothing brought me closer to quitting than sleeplessness.

00:03:40.000 | Hope and rest rise together.

00:03:44.000 | So don't be overly spiritual to say you can get five hours sleep

00:03:48.000 | and the fruit of the Holy Spirit will carry you.

00:03:50.000 | I think the fruit of the Holy Spirit works often by the Holy Spirit telling you,

00:03:55.000 | "Hey, you are not God. Go to bed."

00:03:58.000 | That's the Holy Spirit talking, and what you get from your restedness

00:04:03.000 | you got from the Holy Spirit giving you the humility to stop playing God.

00:04:09.000 | And then two more things.

00:04:11.000 | Have a couple of soul brothers that you love to hang out with,

00:04:15.000 | talk about everything with, talk about big things with,

00:04:19.000 | and then let them pray for you, but just enjoy them.

00:04:23.000 | Enjoy God with them. Enjoy doing things with them.

00:04:27.000 | You need some soul brothers to bear your burdens with you.

00:04:31.000 | And lastly, keep your eyes, Scott, on Christ

00:04:35.000 | and His loving you and your making much of Him.

00:04:42.000 | And don't let your eye drift towards, "I got to have some growing crowds here

00:04:47.000 | to be made much of by the kids. Got to like me."

00:04:49.000 | And then you start shifting the whole focus off of Christ

00:04:54.000 | and onto your need for people.

00:04:57.000 | That's my counsel for not burning out in youth ministry or any ministry.

00:05:02.000 | Excellent. Thank you, Pastor John, and thank you for listening to this podcast.

00:05:05.000 | Please email your questions to us at AskPastorJohn@DesiringGod.org.

00:05:09.000 | At DesiringGod.org you'll find thousands of free books, articles, sermons,

00:05:12.000 | and other resources from John Piper.

00:05:14.000 | I'm your host Tony Ranke. Thanks for listening.

00:05:16.000 | [end]

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Avoiding Ministry Burnout

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