New Year – New You?

The beginning of the year is a good time for self-examination: to look at our lives, specifically our Christian lives. In this article I want to consider some resolutions that might be helpful for pastors in particular. My goal is not to make you feel guilty or to lay even more burdens on you than you already experience. However, I think small changes in the areas below might help you sustain your ministry in the year ahead.   

Bible

The Bible is obviously the meat and drink of the pastor’s work and life. However, it is very easy for the joy and delight of God’s word to be lost.  Charles Spurgeon went through a period where he worried that he was “only a waiter and not a guest at the gospel feast”. That is, the things he preached about simply remained external. For the year ahead, ask God to help you delight in his word as the psalmist does in Psalm 119 (e.g. verse 14).

With the pressures of pastoral ministry, reading the Bible with your family can be a particular challenge.  I find the principle of “little and often” helpful in this context.  Sometimes we have grand plans of having a long family Bible time, and that is a good goal to aim for.  However, if you have let this area slip, it will be much easier to start small and build up.  You could decide to simply read a psalm and pray – that would take you 5 minutes (unless it is Psalm 119 which you might want to break up!).  Reading the Bible on your own and with your family for 5-10 minutes every day is better than doing half an hour or an hour once a week – if that.

Prayer

What I have said about Bible reading applies to prayer as well.  Which of us could not pray more—even as pastors?!  Again, the solution I think is to start small and work up. Better to spend 10 minutes a day in meaningful prayer to the Lord every day than 20 minutes once a week. You might find praying slowly and meditatively through the Lord’s prayer helpful.  Praying with other leaders in the church (elders, deacons etc.) would also be a good thing to institute if you are not doing it already.

Gratitude

The job of a pastor—you don’t need me to tell you—can be exceptionally challenging.  My friends who are pastors battle a number of challenges on a number of fronts. Disappointment is a  common theme that I hear.  I am not naïve enough to think that there is a simple solution, but the Bible does stress the importance of thankfulness. It is striking how often Paul—himself under an incredible amount of ministry pressure—expresses thanksgiving.  Perhaps most strikingly in his first letter to the Corinthians, a church that caused him no end of problems, he says at the beginning of the letter, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:4).  There is a discipline in giving thanks even in difficult circumstances. 

Rest

As well as what we might call “spiritual” resolutions, it might be good to consider some more “physical” ones. Most pastors I know work beyond their capacity.  It is important to remember that the Lord—not you—is building the church (Matthew 16:18; 1 Cor 3:7).  Obviously you can misuse that truth and be lazy in your role, a temptation some pastors sadly succumb to. However, a clear conviction that it is the Lord’s work means that you can take a day off, a vacation and know that the church will not fall apart.  What’s more, when you are rested you will be able to do your role more diligently.

Exercise

Related to rest is exercise.  As Paul puts it—bodily training or exercise “is of some value” (1 Tim 4:8).  Studies are increasingly showing that consistent exercise has a significant effect on mental health.  I find that the time I put in to exercising I receive back in terms of efficiency and general health.  I know that in a busy pastoral role, exercise is the first thing that can go, but perhaps think of it as an act of faith – yes I am busy but taking this time to exercise will help me be healthier and have a clearer outlook on things.

I know that there are pressures that will make keeping these resolutions but I think aiming to grow in these areas will help you in your ministry. I pray that next year is a great year for us in word, prayer, Church and speaking the Gospel as we live our lives before the Lord. Happy New Year!

©2023 Peter C. Orr. Used with permission.