Leading From a Place of Health

Have you been on the verge of calling it quits? According to some recent statistics, about 35-40% of pastors consider leaving the church each year. Serving in church ministry is a high calling. Those of us in church leadership serve the Lord and students day in and day out. We can lead from a place of health, but often, we lead from a place that is not our best. We are tired, frustrated, or just in a funk.

There may be a legitimate reason for your frustration, despair, or failure. Things can happen that are beyond our control. However, for most people who are ready to call it quits, let us consider a helpful perspective. There’s a strong possibility that there’s an area of your life in which you are lacking health.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

Mark 12:30 ESV

In the above verse, we are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are to love God with all that we are. Our mental, spiritual, and physical health is important because it reflects our calling. 

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Far too often, instead of focusing on what God has for us, we are focused on survival, finding the next time of rest, or looking for an escape. It is easy to lose sight of what God has done or what He is doing.

There is a powerful connection between our mental, spiritual, and physical health. Sometimes, we focus on one of these areas and neglect the other two. However, when we attempt to give each part attention, a beautiful thing happens: we become healthy.

Let’s break it down a little. What does it look like to be mentally, spiritually, and physically healthy?

Mental Health

Surveys tell us that roughly 1 in 4 pastors struggle with their mental health. America is currently in a mental health crisis. As you read this blog, take a minute to do some self-reflection. Ask yourself the questions below, but be brave enough to reflect transparently.

How are you doing? Really? How are your family relationships? Your friendships? Are you constantly anxious and defeated, or do you find yourself calm and content? Do you find time to enjoy a hobby amongst your other commitments?

When was the last time you rested? I don’t mean to take a nap, but to take the time to do something relaxing, something that you love. It could be fishing for hours on the dock, playing a game of pickleball, or playing a round of golf. Rest is crucial for our mental health.

Spiritual Health

We share with our students the importance of time with Jesus. However, sometimes we neglect our time with the Lord. Are you meeting with Jesus consistently? Are you connecting with other believers? Are you in the Word other than a sermon or lesson prep?

There’s nothing quite as transformational as a vibrant time with Jesus. This pours out into everything else that we do. 

Physical Health

We are accustomed to eating a diet rich in pepperoni pizza, doughnuts, and soda. We don’t get the sleep we desperately need, and we are so busy that we don’t have the time to exercise or move our bodies as we should. 

Are you spending time moving your body in some way every day? Is your diet full of junk food, or do you eat the foods that will nourish your body instead of destroying it? Do you spend time outside, or are you always behind a desk or lying on the couch? How you spend your time matters. It’s the small decisions that you make that will impact your days. 

Small decisions, like drinking a glass of water or taking a quick break to get some steps in, help make big gains in your overall health.

Your mental, spiritual, and physical health are all related. If we focus on only one aspect of our health while neglecting the other two, we will not be healthy. When we let one of the areas slide, it begins to seep into the other areas, causing a decline. For example, if we allow our physical health to decline by vegging out for a week on takeout and a pattern of laziness, it could affect our mental health. Instead of being clear-minded, our mind is cloudy. If our mental health is suffering, it can bleed into our spiritual health. We don’t want to spend time in the Word and prayer because we feel so lethargic and depressed.

However, a decision towards health in one area will lend itself to helping the other two areas as well. For example, if your mental health is good, then it may encourage you to go for a walk. This helps our physical health. That walk could lead you to a time of prayer, which enhances our spiritual health. 

Leading from a place of health means you are mindful of your mental, spiritual, and physical health. If you want to lead from a place of health, all three must be attended to regularly. When our mental, spiritual, and physical health is strong, we can love God as He called us to in Mark 12:30. We can serve and love Jesus better when we take steps to help our overall health. 

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

• What steps could you take to help your mental health?
• Do you find that your relationship with Jesus is growing deeper? If not, why do you think that is?
• What small steps could you take that would help your physical health? 

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