Do You Remember Why You Started Preaching in the First Place?
It’s Monday, are you tired?
Do you feel burned out?
Are you going through a dry spell?
Are you struggling with what to preach next sunday?
Congratulations, you are normal.
Most pastors deal with the Monday blues.
Most pastors experience the holy hangover.
But don’t feel defeated. You don’t have to stay this way.
You can fight it! Want to know how?
Remember the “Why”
To beat the exhaustion, think back on what excited you about preaching in the first place.
Why do you preach?
Why did you decide to become a pastor in the first place?
Why do you do what you do week after week?
It’s easy to lose sight of the “Why” with all the meetings, phone calls, events, paperwork, criticism… and whatever else keeps you awake at night.
Rediscover Your “Why”
So, here is what you need to do. Fall back in love with your “Why.” Rediscover your original passion.
Get out a piece of paper, or open up a word doc. Write down why you became a preacher in the first place.
Was it the influence of someone you admire?
Was it a radical encounter with Jesus that changed your life?
Was it seeing the hurt in people and the only answer in Christ?
Was there a specific moment that you felt the call?
Was it a passage of scripture that that burned itself into the back of your mind?
For me, it was a youth pastor who believed in me and gave me a shot. He helped me come to terms with my desperate need for a savior. Jesus used him to save me. Now I want Jesus to use me to save others.
Whatever your “Why” was, write it down. Print it off (or tear out the page). And put it somewhere that you will see it every day.
Why The “Why?”
Just as long-time married couples must work to rekindle their passion for each other, pastors must rekindle their passion for ministry.
When you remember your “Why,” you will refuel your passion for preaching.
The call of a preacher isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.
The preachers I respect the most are not the ones who grow churches quickly. Don’t get me wrong, that is great and all, but there are plenty of “successful” preachers who burn out quickly or fail morally.
The preachers we should admire the most are the ones who stay faithful the longest. The ones that never strayed when things got messy, and never gave in when temptation showed its ugly face.
What sets every one of these men of God apart from the rest is a relentless focus on the “Why.”
You will never finish the race without a constant reminder of your reason for attempting such an insanely difficult job in the first place.
Don’t forget your “Why.”