Peace of mind comes from focusing on what is good and lovely. We find a lot of strength in environments where we are loved and appreciated. But what if things are not so lovely around you? And what if you are carrying the burdens of broken people and do not have boundaries that allow you to relax and re-energise?
There are certain professions that come with a lot of stress, excessive workload, tiredness, and frequent burnout. These can happen in situations where you encounter competition when you expected collaboration and support. Other situations that compound it happen when the workload keeps increasing with little or no assistance. Lawyers are often under a lot of stress. Imagine a police officer who directs traffic in the middle of the road! Professions with high stakes and irregular working hours come with mental health difficulties. Doctors, nurses, lecturers, fire fighters, and pastors are in this category.
Pastors do not only preach the gospel and study the Bible all day. They are regularly faced with the demands of administrative work, financial responsibilities, and challenges of people in distress. The pastor is the first point of call for a congregant who has lost a spouse, a child or a loved one. Handling these situations can be draining. Then you add the pressures from building projects, marriage counseling, challenges from the Children Service department and choir problems. The expectations of a pastor are very high, while they often have little support and little time to care for themselves. As a result, many experience depression and burnout, often silently.
Several pastors identify with David when he said “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” (Psalm 42:5a). Elijah felt the burden of standing for what is right in Israel, to the point where he desired death (see 1 Kings 19:4).
But what made the apostles to keep going in the face of intense adversity and persecution? We know they stuck together and knew they had the support of the brethren. They run to their companions when they face of challenges (Acts 4:23ff). Spiritually, they spent lots of time in prayer and worshipping the Lord. Above all, they were filled with and depended on the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 26:3 says “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” When your focus is on the Lord, your mind is at ease. Your heart becomes troubled when the mind is busy worrying about difficulties that you do not have no solutions for. When the thinking becomes intense, depression and sorrow can set in, and the heart cannot be at rest.
According to the World Health Organisation, mental disorders are usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. Based on their statistics, one in every eight people in the world live with a mental disorder. That is a high number and we all need to be concerned.
The misconception against mental health makes coping with it even more challenging. Yet, it is a reality in every sphere of life. We all desire pleasant and warm homes, schools, work places and worship environments. Mental health affects our ability to progress in life and succeed in our endeavours. Not only our own health affects us, but the health of those around us also. People are experiencing loneliness, isolation, and detachment more than ever before, which worsens mental health situations.
As a pastor and coach for over a decade, I have discovered a lot about people's behaviour patterns. Adding my years of teaching experience at the university and extensive facilitation of training activities, I have come across people of diverse characteristics and observed how their manner of life affects their mental health. I have also found that it is not the person with the most problems that is most broken. Some individuals have found inner strength that helps them handle difficult times better than others.
WHAT WE CAN DO
RELATIONSHIPS – quality relationships promote mental health. When we feel connected and supported, we feel safe and mentally stable. We are emotional beings and do get hurt through our interpersonal interactions. Develop and nurture a network of friends and people who care about you. Having a warm and healthy support system improves mental health. Talk to these people often and allow them to speak into your life. How we treat others and how others treat us are important for our mental health. Strained relationships put a lot of pressure on anyone, no matter the setting. Today, employers and graduate schools request for statements about the quality of a candidate’s interpersonal relationships.
CONTENTMENT - Learn to be content with what you have and the levels you have currently attained. Pursue your dreams, but not under pressure to prove a point. Avoid pushing to reach expectations that are beyond your reach. That can be emotionally and mentally agonizing. If your vocabulary does not include the word ‘enough’, you will struggle and become frustrated in life.
PERSONAL WORK CULTURE - Do not Overwork. It causes stress. Take time off and do something relaxing. Play with your children, call a good friend, and take a walk in the Mall. Take your leave and rest during your leave period. We get income from work but it also comes with stress, which must be well managed.
RESILIENCE - Develop resilience and inner strength, without which you will crumble in times of trouble. Avoid taking things too personally. Learn to bounce back when you face challenges. Paul prayed that they may be “strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).
Resilience includes the ability to persevere. People today find it difficult to endure. Romans 5:3-5 says “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint”. Without the ability to endure and persevere, you cannot develop character. People of character are people who have hope, and hope keeps you looking forward to something good in future. This is necessary for mental health.
CONNECT WITH GOD IN MEANINGFUL WAYS - find a way to release your burdens on the Lord. There is such relief when you talk to God about your needs. Study His Word extensively and put your trust in Him. The more Bible you read, the more peace you experience. “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165)
CONCLUSION
The work of a pastor can be pleasant when we improve our interpersonal relationships, delegate certain roles, have the right boundaries, and find time to rest. Today, many institutions are intentional about reducing stress for their workers by creating warm and cordial work environments and giving paid vacations. We must all be deliberate in the way we engage with the people around us, knowing that they could be experiencing mental stress. Being conscious of the pressures of life, the pastor needs to incorporate mental health issues in their final remarks at the end of a worship service and take time to speak hope to the congregants. People should feel it when you pronounce the benediction. I try not to miss the opportunity to speak into the lives of my congregants.
