Books I'm Reading
Thursday, September 10, 2009?
The Sabbath God told us to take a day off. Many pastors don’t.
Those of you in smaller churches might think, “We simply can’t. Without any staff, there is always an emergency.”
Those of you in larger churches might say, “We can’t because there are too many pressing issues in a large church.”
Those who are staff members might say, “Our pastor might get a day off but we have to work.”
All those are poor excuses. If you don’t rest, you won’t last.
Boundaries
Some people believe a pastor should be available 24 hours a day for every situation—no matter what.
I disagree.
When you study the life of Jesus, he often escaped from the crowds to spend time alone with God. His “life rhythms” model healthy boundaries.
If a pastor or staff member doesn’t set some boundaries, he won’t be in ministry for long:
He will burn out.
She will get resentful.
He will lose his marriage.
She will have an affair.
What works for you? How do you communicate healthy boundaries on your day off? When do you make exceptions?
Grace and Peace 12:27 AM