Pastor, Stay Healthy!

This article is about the spiritual health of the pastor.

Healthy ministers respect authority. (Titus 3:1)
Healthy ministers are not afraid to counsel and to take advice of others in the church.
A healthy minister would never state: "No one is going to tell me what to do."
Nor, would he even feel that way.
Healthy ministers don't feel they have a corner on God's will.

Healthy ministers are ready to help. They are patient and caring.

Healthy ministers will never malign another person.
They will not insult or speak evil of others.
They will not use the pulpit to get back at others.

Healthy ministers are not contentious.
Someone has said, "An uncontentious person is one who would not mind selling
his pet parrot to the town gossip."
A healthy minister will not gloat at the mistakes and scandals of others.
He will not "feel good" when others fail.

Healthy ministers are gentle. (Titus 3:2)
Gentleness is the ability to be flexible when needed, yet showing consistent strength.
A good example is Jesus and the woman at the well.
He demonstrated gentleness to the woman without condoning what she had done.
He was exacting in His moral expectations.

Healthy ministers are kind. (Titus 3:3)
Ministers must be Christlike -- Jesus was kind.
There is no excuse for unkindness!

Healthy ministers will grow.
They will grow in leadership skills and in their personal spiritual walk with Christ.
They will be willing to learn from others – younger or older, less educated or more educated.

Healthy ministers will have a place to retreat.
Jesus knew when it was time to rest.
Every minister needs a place where he can go to preserve his own judgment and sanity and receive
a fresh word from God.

Healthy ministers must have a sense of humor.
Ministers must not take themselves too seriously.
They must be able to laugh at their own humanity.

Healthy ministers will know that they do not have an answer for everything and everybody.
There is nothing wrong with having to say, "I don't know".

Healthy ministers will not be preoccupied with suspicion and resentment.
They cannot afford the feeling "They're out to get me" – even if they are.
They must not nurse negative feelings which will produce misery.

Healthy ministers have learned how to forgive.
They cannot erase the memory of hurts – but they must forgive.

Every Christian leader and every Christian member should strive also to have a healthy spiritual life.

This article is adapted from an article by Brooks Faulkner which was printed in the professional journal, Search.