It had been a really rough year.  While the ministry was growing, there were new challenges in the church I had not anticipated that came with that growth.  Change came at a price, and while the support for what God was clearly doing grew, so did the opposition.  I wasn’t sleeping well.  My eating habits were poor and irregular.  I was ignoring obvious signs of stress.  I wasn’t taking my days off.  And ultimately, I ended up aggravating a heart condition I did not know I had and got the scare of my life.  My physiological reservoir was empty. 

For the last decade or so, I have had the incredible pleasure of coming alongside several pastors – some of them relatively new in the ministry – as a mentor and confidant.  This has been, perhaps, one of my greatest joys.  But one thing that consistently concerns me is that many of these pastors are living the same way I was living when I “hit the wall.”  And I’m not the only one who shares this concern – multiple studies show that pastors, as a population sample, simply do not take care of themselves well.  Pastors tend to maintain inadequate sleep patterns, they struggle with extra weight – often eat diets high in fat, they usually do not exercise regularly, and they may even internalize their stress in an effort to appear “in control.” 

I have learned some lessons from my own life and health – lessons I wish I had gained earlier from someone else’s wisdom.  Some of these lessons I am still applying – they’re not easy!  But if we believe that our bodies are indeed the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we should honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), then we must take good care of that temple.  We must learn to make five things a priority: a balanced and nutritious diet, an appropriate amount of physical exercise, reducing and addressing stress, getting enough rest (sleep), and pursuing regular and complete medical care.

Nutrition
I know that there are oodles of jokes about pastors and the way they eat -- I resembled some of them myself (especially when it came to homemade Southern fried chicken!).  But nutrition is no laughing matter.  The very lifestyle of a busy pastorate makes it difficult to eat on a good schedule and to avoid "convenience" foods that are usually not nutritious.  Snacking is the norm -- and not on fresh fruits and vegetables.  I know many pastors who have difficulties with their blood pressure -- but it is hard to know if the culprit is stress or diet.  Weight is often a problem for us, and too many pastors now report problems with blood sugar and cholesterol.

Eating balanced, nutritious meals at regular intervals throughout the day is critical to one's physiological health.  The systems of the body depend directly on the right nutrients.  Think, for example, how a high carb lunch makes you slow and sleepy in the afternoon.  What we eat affects everything about us.  Diet alone can exascerbate stress and other health issues.  Learning to eat correctly helps us maintain our health -- keeping the physiological reservoir full.

Exercise
As I write this paragraph, I'm feeling like a particular hypocrite.  My own exercise regemen all but dies when Minnesota turns wintry.  But excuses aside, regular and purposeful physical exercise may be the most neglected routine in a pastor's life.  Aerobic physical exercise (that is the kind that raises your heart rate and makes you produce sweat) should be part of our routine at least three times per week.  (NOTE: if you haven't exercised in a while, it's always best to check with your doctor first!).

There are many creative ways we can add to our weekly goal of exercise: playing with our kids or grandkids, riding a bike or walking for short trips, or using the steps instead of the elevator are just some good ideas.  It's also helpful to exercise with others -- both for the company and the accountability. 

The benefits of physical exercise are many.  It helps to bring our weight under control.  It is generally good for the heart and circulatory system.  It makes us feel better -- releasing endorphins that can improve mood, relaxing us and preparing us to better handle the stressors of ministry we can not avoid.  In the same vein, such exercise can also have a marked impact on depression -- another issue many pastors face today.

Stress
Dr. Archibald Hart writes, "The stress response is a natural form of arousal.  In moderation, it is healthy -- even necessary.  But continuous overarousal leads to stress disease -- and it doesn't matter whether this is the consequence of overwork, unhappiness, or plain, old fashioned excitement.  Such long-term overarousal and the excessive flow of those hormones associated with stress will eventually lead to physiological and psychological distress..." (Adrenaline and Stress, Waco: Word Publishing, 1995, p. X). 

Everyone deals with stress.  And stress can be from both good and bad sources.  But few people take the necessary steps to actually manage their stress -- even avoiding stressors that are under their control.  In particular, for pastors, some stressors can seem insurmountable.  Three of the other items I discuss in this article (diet, exercise and rest) have a profound impact on our stress.  But there is one, specific treatment I want to emphasize: partnership.

Too many pastors try to go at the pastoral ministry alone.  Oh, they have their committees and leadership boards, but for a multitude of reasons they still sense they are the sole spiritual leader of the flock.  What's worse, many of these same pastors do not build vital relationships with folks outside of the church who can mentor, guide and support them.  They may meet within a local ministerium, but rarely are deep, abiding heart relationships developed for mutual benefit.  Is it any wonder that so many pastors feel "hung out to dry" when things go badly in their congregations?  If they have no one standing with them, either within or outside of the church family, they do indeed become the sole target of Satan's schemes and the powerbroker's wrath.  We all need these relationships -- a "band of brothers" if you will.  And I believe that this one factor is the greatest tool available to address ministry related stress.

Rest
Not much should need be said about this topic -- we all know we need rest.  The Mayo Clinic reports that the appropriate amount of sleep actually varies based upon many factors -- not the least of which is age (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/AN01487).  It's impossible to give a definitive number of hours an adult needs of sleep, but it is possible to give both a range and some comments about quality.

The typical, healthy adult requires from 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep per night.  The key is not just the amount of time, but the fact that it is restful.  We've all had nights where we slept, but not well and felt the consequences all day long.  Of course, the quality of our sleep is directly influenced by stress and other factors (see how these are all interrelated?)

Along with nightly rest, pastors also need to consider weekly rest and extended times away from the church.  One of the most distressing statistics I have seen of late is the high percentage of pastors that refuse to take their allotted vacation time!  I am also bothered that the policies of some congregations impede seasons of rest for their pastor (like requiring the pastor to count approved education and training time against his vacation, which should be reserved for a respite from ministry).

I know some churches do not understand the need (especially when powerbrokers are quick to note that they don't get such time off), but pastoral ministry is not a career -- it is a spiritual calling.  And as such it requires the pastor to be "engaged" in ministry at all hours of the day and night.  The pastor MUST be allowed to "disengage" periodically if the church desires his ministry to be fruitful.

When churches ask for guidance on such matters, here is what I typically recommend for full time pastors:

• One day off (truly away) per week for rest (not just time out of the office!)
• Two days away per quarter for prayer and ministry planning
• Four weeks vacation per year (hopefully taken at intervals throughout the year), during which the church will not call on the pastor
• One additional week per year for the CCCC Annual Family Conference -- not counted against the pastor's vacation time -- for the recouperative impact it will have for the pastor, his family and his ministry

All of these are critical opportunities for rest.  Churches that impede their pastor's ability to truly rest, do so at their own peril.

Medical Care
The final component to maintaining a healthy physiological reservoir is appropriate and regular medical care.  The pastorate is stressful and demanding; therefore, every pastor should have an ongoing relationship with a physician and should schedule at least an annual physical exam.  Pastors should also be regular with their dental (every six months) and optical (every other year) appointments. 

When it comes to physical health, I have many regrets about ignoring my physiological reservoir.  There are some health issues that I may have been able to avoid.  There are others that could have been better managed and both my ministry and family would have benefitted greatly. 

One day our Wonderful God will take care of these fallen, aging bodies once and for all.  But until then, we need to be good stewards of them and care for them, remembering that His Spirit dwells within.  How's your temple doing?