Discouragement!

Dear Pastors

Discouragement!

It is possible that pastoral leaders experience more discouragement than most other leaders who lead in other spheres. As leaders in voluntary organisations we have precious little control over what people do and more particularly what people don’t do. There wouldn’t be a pastor on the planet that hasn’t experienced deep discouragement.

The word discouragement comes from the root word courage. The prefix dis- means “the opposite of.” So discouragement is the opposite of courage. When we are discouraged, we have lost the motivation to press forward. The mountain seems too steep, the valley too dark, or the battle too fierce, and we lose the courage to continue.

Discouragement if not addressed early can quickly lead to disillusionment – a deep sense of unhappiness (even depression). It’s when dreams are shattered and we are at risk of losing all hope.

Discouragement is an emotion that has been ramped up since the pandemic……no doubt about it. During this two year period study after study have showed this to be true for many pastors. Sadly, that feeling has not gone away for a significant number of pastors.

Yet these same pastors still feel ‘called’. They don’t want to quit….not really. But the temptation to quit is very real. Further, the earlier that you address gnawing discouragement the quicker you will rise above it. Here are a few things I’ve learnt.

1. Get Perspective. Bring to memory moments and occasions in the past that were an encouragement to you. Pastoral leadership has some wonderful moments. Maybe not this week or last week or even last month but there have been some if not many. Reflect on those occasions. That teaching series that blessed so many people. That recent baptismal service. That marriage you helped mend. That young leader you have mentored and seen grow. That evangelistic event where you preached to heaps of not-yet-Christian folks. That family you walked with through their grief and pain and for which they are eternally grateful.
2. Do something that you love to do. All of us have an interest or hobby that breathes life into us. Go do it!
3. Hang with people that make you laugh. Seriously there is nothing like a good laugh and having coffee (or better still dinner) with a person or people who have a good sense of humour is like ‘medicine for the soul’.
4. Get alone with God. I have found over the years that some extended time of solitude beside still waters with bible in hand has an amazing effect on the state of my soul.
5. Diagnose the source of discouragement. We are all unique and we all have certain ‘triggers’ that start us on a spiral of discouragement. Ask your spouse what he/she thinks besets you? Ask an elder or two. Talk with your Mentor or Supervisor about it. And when all is said and done please remember that the devil is wanting to rob you of your motivation and feelings of optimism and faith. The sooner you exorcise the accuser the better.

Let me finish this short blog with a few quotes.

The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength. Warren Wiersbe

A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven. Charles Swindoll

For those who feel their lives are a grave disappointment to God, it requires enormous trust and reckless, raging confidence to accept that the love of Jesus Christ knows no shadow of alteration or change. When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy burdened,” He assumed we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way. These words are a touching testimony to the genuine humanness of Jesus. He had no romantic notion of the cost of discipleship. He knew that following Him was as unsentimental as duty, as demanding as love. Brennan Manning

Blessings
Alan