{"id":31592,"date":"2022-09-10T15:36:28","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/why-some-leaders-burn-out-and-4-ways-to-prevent-it\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:36:28","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:36:28","slug":"why-some-leaders-burn-out-and-4-ways-to-prevent-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/why-some-leaders-burn-out-and-4-ways-to-prevent-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Some Leaders Burn Out\u2014and 4 Ways to Prevent It"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bruno Aguirre photo – Unsplash <\/p>\n

By Joy Allmond<\/em><\/p>\n

Why do pastors leave the pulpit?<\/p>\n

Findings from a 2016 Lifeway Research study found several reasons, but the third highest was burnout (19%).<\/p>\n

On a recent episode of \u201cAsk Me Anything\u201d on the Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network, J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, addressed what can cause burnout in ministry\u2014and what to do about it.<\/p>\n

The role of idolatry in burnout<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For himself, Greear says, idolatry has been a driving factor in times of ministry burnout.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because idolatry always puts something out there that you have to obtain in order to get satisfaction or security,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd so there\u2019s always somebody \u2026 some success to match. The church has got to be this size. I\u2019ve got to be invited to do this. I\u2019ve got to have this many followers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greear says the key to preventing burnout is finding rest in Christ and incorporating a rhythm of rest and sabbath practices.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t have to have the biggest church I don’t have to have everyone call me a success in order to find rest,” he says. ”<\/p>\n

I think Tim Keller says it like this: \u2018Until you find your identity in Christ, you\u2019re going to work even when you\u2019re resting.\u2019 Because while you’re resting, your mind is always going to all think about the things you should be doing to achieve success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greear explains that a key for him in finding rest in Christ was understanding that he didn\u2019t need to prove anything to people. His work\u2014and his rest\u2014is unto the Lord.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m supposed to Sabbath because I realized ultimately God is the one who makes the ends meet,\u201d he says. \u201cOne of my favorite Psalms I go back to over and over again is Psalm 127, where I\u2019m reminded that the Lord builds the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Combating burnout: Practical ways to incorporate a rhythm of sabbath<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Greear says he has taken some cues from writings by Archibald Hart, a seminary-trained clinical psychologist who has written on people in ministry.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said whenever you\u2019re in front of people doing something public, whether that\u2019s acting, singing, or preaching, in the space of about 30 minutes your body releases the same amount of toxins, adrenaline, and various hormones to deal with the stress of being in front of people that the average person does an eight hours,\u201d Greear explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if you\u2019re preaching two and three times on the weekend, you\u2019re literally poisoning your body. There\u2019s got be a time where you disconnect, otherwise you burn out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greear shares some of the practices he has incorporated.<\/p>\n

1. Get more sleep.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cEverybody needs to be getting more sleep, not just church leaders,\u201d says Greear.<\/p>\n

And sleep isn\u2019t just good for the body; it\u2019s good for the mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt releases a certain hormone that carries away the waste that your mind produces and it only comes out when you’re sleeping, which means after you\u2019ve been working for a while and you feel like your mind is all gummed up, it\u2019s because it is,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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See also  Why Pastors Must Acknowledge Their Own Needs<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhen you don\u2019t get adequate sleep, your body hasn’t been able to cleanse your mind and so physical rest actually makes you way more productive. In the morning, I’m just way sharper and more creative and I write better when I get a good night\u2019s sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Periodically disengage from what you typically do.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Greear says leaders can learn from the example of Winston Churchill, who called painting one of his pastimes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the highest, most crucial days of World War II, Churchill would go in his basement and paint for about two hours a day,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe knew that in order to be able to renew his mind, he had to disengage. He said, painting is a great way to get your mind active. Doing something that doesn’t normally do and that’s the best way to get refreshed.<\/p>\n

And, Greear adds, \u201cThe best way to get refreshed is not to watch TV.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Connect with people who energize you.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hart, in his writings, explains that at least one night a week, it\u2019s important\u2014and life-giving\u2014to spend time with people we enjoy.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family moved into a neighborhood with two or three other families we\u2019re pretty close to,\u201d says Greear.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, that means getting together after the kids go down. Other times we go to each other\u2019s house and watch a football game or basketball game, or we’ll sit around and talk. We\u2019ve become intentional about living that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Get spiritual renewal.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cFor me, that\u2019s expressed in my quiet time in the morning,\u201d says Greear. \u201cBut I found it helpful to also spend a few minutes at night wrapping up the day and leaving some burdens at Jesus\u2019 feet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another idea, Greear says, is to schedule pockets of time throughout the day to reconnect with God.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne minister said he schedules prayer time before every major appointment,\u201d he says. \u201cThat way, he walks into these meetings not with a burden, but resting in Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greear adds that church leaders should fight against the tendency to be people who only work on<\/em> the church without being in<\/em> the church.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need a small group I need people praying for me. I need people holding me accountable. I need to be involved in normal evangelism,” he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s life-giving and I wouldn’t trade that for the biggest stage in all the world. So be a part of the local church and let it minister to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

JOY ALLMOND (@joyallmond)<\/strong> is managing editor of<\/em> Facts & Trends.<\/p>\n

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Dig Deeper at Lifeway.com<\/div>\n
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The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World<\/h2>\n

Peter Scazzero<\/p>\n

FIND OUT MORE <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Bruno Aguirre photo – Unsplash By Joy Allmond Why do pastors leave the pulpit? Findings from a 2016 Lifeway Research study found several reasons, but the third highest was burnout (19%). On a recent episode of \u201cAsk Me Anything\u201d on the Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network, J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, … Continue reading “Why Some Leaders Burn Out\u2014and 4 Ways to Prevent It”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31592"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31592\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}