As simple as it may sound, both work and rest are commanded by God, and to do one to the exclusion of the other takes us into the realm of sin. We must do both and do both faithfully or we are not truly obeying our King. Second, in order to love His Bride, our Lord Jesus Christ left His glory, His dwelling in heaven, His place of utter perfection and delight in union with His Father and the Spirit. Therefore, in order to love my wife as Christ loves the Church, I must discern what is to me “glory” and leave it regularly in order to love [my wife]. Frankly, ministry is my glory. Third, Jesus left His glory not for that which was attractive within us to Him. Rather, He left His glory for that which was repulsive in us to Him. My wife should sense that I am willingly leaving the most glorious portions of life for me for her in her deepest weakness, most frightening struggle with what she suspects is repulsive to me.

In terms of ministry, we have learned that when we give out of resources that we do not have, then it is not sacrifice but lack of wisdom, if not actual folly. [We] have often pushed ourselves beyond the limits of health because of the demands of ministry and have gone to the margins of well-being and beyond. This actually becomes a kind of dishonesty, for inside we are feeling a sense of emptiness and disquiet as we meet with individuals who are deeply hurting, and at times actually fight resentment and distraction within while we are sitting with them without, and are dishonest about how embattled and empty we are feeling.

A Pastor reflecting on what he is learning after decades in ministry