Get in the Light

Ministry can be a dark place. The Apostle Paul knew ministry was no cakewalk. When listing the various sufferings he encountered, he includes persecution, shipwreck, and starvation and culminates his list with “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor 11:28). 

Sometimes, the darkness of ministry comes from opponents within or outside your church. Other times, the darkness comes from walking through difficult situations with people in your church: the valley of the shadow of death, the pit of prolonged suffering, or the trials, tribulations, and temptations that come in this fallen world. Perhaps the darkness is within: self-doubt, a crisis of your own faith, serious sin, family conflict, or the darkness of depression. Wherever your darkness is, I want to encourage you, pastor, to fight the darkness by getting in the light figuratively and literally. 

Get Into The Physical Light

This might seem like a strange question, but when was the last time you went outside and let the sunshine on your face? When was the last time you reflected on the beauty of creation? Many times, the hustle and bustle of life, especially ministry life, keeps us from enjoying the many gifts that God has given us. When we fail to appreciate the gifts, we miss out on many of the blessings that come along with them. 

God has created a good universe. Part of that goodness is the sheer beauty of it. If you are like me, you tend to land on the “function over fashion” end of the spectrum. I’m so utilitarian that early in our marriage, my wife and I would fight over the placement of furniture. She wanted to make our home beautiful. My primary concern was the maximum utilization of electrical outlets! God has graciously used Jenny to open my eyes to the value of aesthetics. 

Have you ever noticed what God says about trees in the creation account? Not the one in Genesis 1, but the zoomed-in retelling in Genesis 2. Look at this oft-overlooked phrase in verse nine, “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” (emphasis added). Did you catch that? Trees aren’t only good for protection or providing sustenance; God also made them pleasing to the eyes. Think about all the things in creation that seemingly exist simply to delight our senses. 

Scripture proclaims that beauty serves a higher and deeper purpose. Immersion in the sensory experience of creation impacts our bodies and our souls. Ever hear of vitamin D? Ever have a vitamin D deficiency? If you were alive during 2020, you probably did. Our bodies create Vitamin D as we absorb the sun’s light and heat. Vitamin D deficiency can cause problems in your bones and muscles. It also can interfere with your sleep and manifest as symptoms of anxiety. Ever wake up after four hours of sleep with your mind racing? It could be rooted in a soul problem or too little vitamin D in your body. 

Creation also influences our souls. Scripture proclaims again and again that creation points us to God. God intends for creation to evoke praise and worship for our Creator. 

So, one simple thing you can do to improve your mental health is to get outside. Go for a run, a hike, or a walk; maybe even better, a stroll. Take time to soak in the sun and the sensory delights of this world. Then, turn those experiences into thoughts and words of praise to our Heavenly Father. 

Get Into The Metaphorical Light

I once asked a dear friend and colleague who specializes in abuse counseling how she survives wading into the dark waters of abuse over and over. Her answer has stuck with me. “My husband and I watch for signs that I’ve been in the dark too long. If he notices those signs, he tells me to get in the light.”

Getting into the light, in this sense, may include getting out in the sun, but the point is to identify the things in life that refresh you — the things that restore your soul. For some of us, that is a hike outside alone. For others, it is a hike with friends or maybe a dinner with some close loved ones. Maybe it is a nap or some creative outlet. All of us have things in life that (when rightly seen and rightly used) refresh our spirits, remind us of God’s goodness, and reconnect us to Him. They are the things that should evoke praise in our hearts and thanksgiving to God. They are things that highlight and heighten our communion with God.

These certainly include habits of holiness/spiritual disciplines or whatever else you call Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, fasting, etc. But getting into the light will likely include more than just these. A quick word on these habits of holiness: As pastors, it can sometimes be tempting to think or practice (maybe without a conscious decision) the idea that you have somehow moved beyond these basics of the Christian faith. Let me encourage you: these things are not the exercises of baby believers, intended to help them reach a higher point of maturity, nor are they the disciplines of the spiritual elite. They are the eating, breathing, drinking, and sleeping of the spiritual life! Without them, your soul will wither from lack of nourishment. You cannot thrive or grow without them.

Get into the Light with the Light of the World

Engaging in communion-enriching activities and spiritual disciplines would ultimately be fruitless if they were devoid of the person of Jesus. Pastor, never forget your first love. Jesus is the Light of the world. Walking with Him gets us out of darkness and keeps us out of ultimate darkness (John 8:12, 1 John 1:7). 

You entered ministry because you love Jesus. You had an experience of conversion and, more than likely, some sense of calling. You not only wanted to know Jesus, you wanted to make Him known. But many of us lose sight of our first love somewhere along the way. We get distracted, we get busy. We replace our first love with love of the work, the people, or the praise. But after a while, those loves will inevitably fade and fail. Jesus will not let anything replace Him. 

Brothers, there are many sources of darkness in life and even more in ministry. You have walked through them, are in the midst of them, or are on the path toward more. When the darkness closes in, get into the light. Turn to Jesus, walk with Him, talk with Him, commune with Him. Find those precious delights He gives you to enjoy and refresh your soul, and praise Him as you experience them. Be sure to walk in the beauty of His creation and let it renew your heart and body through fellowship with your Creator. 

©2024 Curtis Solomon. Used with permission.