The Canadian pastor sadly described his descent into a breakdown to a room full of people in ministry. First, he found himself unable to focus and losing sleep. Then, he had stomach problems and palpitations. He found he was angry—deep down. Eventually, he found he was crying at inopportune moments, tears rolling down his face. He was quite unable to do anything about the inadvertent waterworks. He told us that, to recover, he had to take two years off of work and then spend many years in counseling. As someone who had a very similar experience several years ago, his story had an impact on me. Looking around the room, I could see I wasn’t the only one who was affected. One person asked him, “How do you recover?” I had a suspicion it was not a theoretical question.
Life is Hard
Life in ministry or in any work of service is harder and that’s a HUGE understatement. Jesus didn’t have an easy time and neither will we. Most of us know that going in. Or we think we do–until the reality hits. We may find ourselves being attacked by friends (Jesus was), going without (Jesus did), being falsely accused (Jesus was), and possibly being physically threatened or attacked (Yup, Jesus was). How can we keep our heads above water? I can’t pretend to have all the answers, but I can point to a couple of Bible passages that I’ve found helpful in my personal journey.
We are Unworthy and Incapable
First, 2 Corinthians 4. All of it! Note that Paul says he has his ministry by the mercy of God. None of us are worthy of our calling, but the Lord Himself gives us the work we are to do. And He tells us how to do it. Not in an underhanded way, not being cunning, but by the truthful exposition of Scripture. We’ve been entrusted with “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” What a thought! In our work, whether as pastors, teachers, counselors, or anything else, Christians are to know and obey what Scripture says. That’s a tall order, which is why I am grateful for what comes next.
The passage goes on to tell us that we are crackpots! Okay, it doesn’t exactly say that, but close. We are like clay jars: fragile, not beautiful in themselves, for common purposes. Paul describes us as afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, and carrying the death of Jesus in our bodies. But let’s not stop there. By God’s power, we are not crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed. Even though at times we may not feel like it, we are in fact filled with the life of Jesus! One might imagine that God’s glory shines out through the cracks in the cracked pot. Compared to what awaits us, our circumstances, no matter how dire, are a light momentary affliction. So, we are told to walk by faith, not by sight. How?
How Can We Function?
This is where I have found Philippians 4:4-20 to give some very helpful and practical instructions for living under pressure. Whether we are being mistreated or just feel unappreciated or worn out, the first instruction here is to rejoice in the Lord. Ultimately, He is the Truth, He has a plan, and He loves us. He is truer than our circumstances. So we are told to act like it. Rejoice in Him. Personally, I’ve found singing praise songs tremendously helpful in overcoming circumstantial depression and despondency.
What about anxiety? When one is encountering troubles of various kinds, anxiety is a normal human response. Scripture also tells us how to deal with that. In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. So, we remember all we have to be thankful for and tell God what we are worried about. Then, He does not promise to calm the storm or get us out of the unpleasant circumstances. He promises His peace and says that peace will protect our hearts and minds. If you like, His peace protects our emotions and keeps us from going crazy! If you haven’t tried to apply this passage like a doctor’s prescription, do—it works. And every time the peace recedes, it just means that it’s time to do it again. The Lord is faithful.
Psychology or the Bible?
On to verses 8-9. Have you ever been told to talk about all that is bothering you? Get it out of your system? Express your anger? Very likely, since it’s what psychology currently thinks is helpful. Note that the Scripture doesn’t agree. Of course, we need to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge what is hurting or making us angry, but we are not to stay there. In the next verses, we are told what to do with all those negative thoughts continuously running around in our heads. Think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy. I have found that “training my brain” to focus on what is good, not on what I am currently upset about, is vital to my mental health. We do not live in denial; we live in the truth—that is, Jesus wins!
Finally, by focusing on the fact that we have all we need in Jesus, we can learn, like Paul, to be content in all circumstances. We may be hungry and we may go without. We may have plenty and we may live in abundance. We may have friends who remember us and we may not. But, we can do it all, through Christ who strengthens us. That’s not wishful thinking. It’s true.
Does not mean that those of us who succumb to the pressures of ministry and need a time to recover are to be judged–failures? Far from it! Remember, God uses crackpots. He doesn’t beat us down; that’s what the enemy does. But, it is my hope, that by focusing on God’s instruction for keeping our heads above water, we may be encouraged not to lose heart.