The below excerpt is from my book The Renegade Pastor’s Guide to Managing the Stress of Ministry.

We are amazing creations of God, creations that cannot be separated into neat little compartments. When one part of us suffers, we suffer in every area. In particular, when we don’t feel well physically, we get dragged down mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We find our energy level decreasing simply because our bodies can’t keep up the frantic pace of ministry. When we don’t feel well, we can’t handle stress well. And our whole ministry suffers as a result.

Many pastors we know just don’t take the time to take care of themselves physically. They figure that they can maintain their effectiveness in ministry by staying strong spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. But what happens far too often is that we neglect our bodies, and soon our minds aren’t as sharp. We find that we can’t absorb some of the emotional shocks that come as a pastor. Our desire to learn and grow is dampened, all because we have neglected our bodies. The result? A shortened, less effective, less joyful ministry — a ministry that falls short of what God wants it to be.

We run the very real risk as pastors of missing out on some of God’s greatest blessings simply because we don’t take care of ourselves. We all know the statistics of how many pastors leave their positions every year. One reason pastors quit is that they just can’t handle the stress of ministry. And taking care of your body is a key component to handling stress effectively.

We pay the price for our lack of physical health. Having a fit, healthy spirit does not ensure that we will not suffer the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. Too many pastors suffer from heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments due to their neglect of their bodies.

But Renegade Pastors don’t follow that trend. They know how important it is to stay healthy and fit — spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. It is only with this kind of commitment to the whole person that the Renegade Pastor will find true fulfillment and fruitfulness in their calling. We want to be everything God has called us to be. The only way to do that is to take care of the body He has given us.

– Nelson Searcy and Richard Jarman

The above excerpt is from p. 87-88 of The Renegade Pastor’s Guide to Managing the Stress of Ministry.

Pastors Nelson Searcy and Richard Jarman share their secrets to effective stress management with practical steps and insights that you can start implementing immediately! God wants you to be a fruitful, faithful minister of the gospel. He wants you, as a Renegade Pastor, to rise above average as you pursue God’s best for you, your family, and your ministry.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.