Pastoral Burnout: Dangers and Encouragements - Mack Tomlinson

James: You maybe already answered this,

but has there been a season

in which you've struggled

with being burned out as a pastor?

And if so, what helped you

to get out of that season?

Mack: Well, in the last 18 years

of pastoring in the same church,

I don't think I've had burnout.

What I would call that:

seasons of discouragement,

seasons of weariness, tiredness.

But we have to learn to pace ourselves.

We have to learn to intentionally rest.

Renew ourselves.

Step aside and rest awhile

as Jesus told His disciples.

And I think what's helped me to avoid

sinking into times like that

is being intentional about times of rest,

times of going to a lake house

three days with my wife.

And literally doing nothing.

No agenda. No schedule.

No social media.

Reading my Bible.

Taking a nap.

Being with her.

Sitting on the back porch
looking at the lake.

No schedule.

Just unwind.

I have a pastor friend of mine

who after 40 years of ministry one day,

his body literally shut down.

He was used to preaching and teaching

six times a week.

He ran five miles every day.

He was athletic.

And one day his body shut down

and he had a breakdown.

And what was determined ultimately

was the ministry, the teaching,

the lack of breaks -

his body could not continue

to go on the adrenaline physically.

The adrenaline needed to preach

and be before people.

It was overload.

His body finally said:

I can't take anymore. I'm stopping.

(incomplete thought)

And he recovered, but he had to stop

doing 40% of what he had been doing.

John Piper said we have to pay

our debts to our body.

And so we have to know ourselves.

We have to intentionally plan time off.

Vacations are a spiritual thing.

They're spiritual.

To get away, there's all kinds of effects,

spiritually, emotionally,

mentally, physically,

socially.

We've got to have that change

to disconnect and reboot.

And so that's what I've learned.

We renew our strength that way.

And it's actually a spiritual thing

because it enables us to have longevity

of fruitful ministry more.

James: Have there been any other pastors

who you've known

who have gotten burned out

in the pastoral ministry

and they never got back into it?

And if so, what was going on there?

Mack: I have several close friends

over the years,

that that very thing happened to them.

In their cases,

they were pastoring churches -

these were very good men,

sound men, good preachers,

real pastor's hearts.

They weren't hirelings.

And their churches treated them wrong

or put pressure on them wrong

or were demanding too much of them.

And they began to burn out.

And/or they were forced
out of their church

because they weren't producing enough.

And the power players in the church

were controlling things

which is obviously very unbiblical.

Your church government

and what kind of leadership you have

will control that issue.

Because when you have

a plurality in ministry

and a team of elders

and a team of deacons that serve

at the pleasure of the elders,

a couple of couples can't resist a team

and try to attack them.

But anyway, I saw these friends

have to leave pastoring.

They were wounded, discouraged,

and then they're at this crossroads.

Can I take it again?

I'm too hurt. I can't do it now again.

But they have children.

They take a job.

They settle in to raising a family,

providing.

And they get settled where they are.

And then they get to be 40 years old,

50 even,

and they're settled in their career.

And I'm sure the calling of God

is still on them.

But they can't find a way back.

They don't feel like, for whatever reason,

they can stop everything,

start all over again.

Will the same thing happen to us

that happened before?

I couldn't take it again.

And maybe they don't feel like

they could plant a church.

So they never pastor again.

And it's really sad to me

because the burnout got them.

James: And there's not enough good men

out there as it is.

Mack: I mean, I would say

to any brother like that

who's got a pastor's heart

and was in ministry,

and he's not anymore,

and he's trying to be faithful,

but the nagging is there,

and he knows the gifts and callings of God

are without repentance.

If I was ever called to preach the Gospel,

and I haven't disqualified myself

through sin,

am I not still called?

Lord, I'm willing.

Show me what You want.

James: What have been your
greatest encouragements as a pastor?

Mack: For me, I think,

as pastors and preachers,

we're first Christians.

And we need fellowship.

And it's easy for preachers

to be in the preaching mode

and not maintain real fellowship

just as Christians.

And so maintaining real fellowship,

being with brothers,

sitting under preaching that feeds me,

doing the things that I need to do

as a Christian

to stay encouraged and grow,

never mind being a preacher.

Those are the things that have
encouraged me the most -

to be with the brethren,

and be stirred up.

And I think even more specifically,

to pray with brothers.

There's something about praying

with another brother in your church

or a fellow pastor

or a brother in the
Lord that likes to pray.

Praying with them

always is a real encouragement to me.

So those things are basic things,

but the things God uses

to bring encouragement into our lives

are the basic things:

His Word, true fellowship,

and keeping myself
under edifying preaching

that feeds my heart.

You know, at this point in my life,

I'm not interested in intellectual,

high theology preaching

that just feeds my mind

or just gives me information.

I want something that will stir my heart,

that will stir my love for Christ,

that preaches to my conscience,

my affections,

and really brings me in touch with God.

And automatically, encouragement comes.

Along that line of encouragements,

one of the biggest means

of encouragement in my life,

to stir me, to refresh me,

to encourage me,

to inspire me,

really has probably just been

the regular reading of Christian biography

and the lives of the saints in the past.

Because you see how God worked

in their lives when they were sinful,

when they were needy;

how He shaped their lives,

and equipped them;

how He kept them and provided for them;

how He used them.

And reading the lives
of saints from the past

is just a huge inspiration.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones says

reading Christian biography

was the biggest tonic for his soul.

He'd be refreshed so much.

And that's been the case with me too.

Only when you do it and experience it

does the reality and the fragrance

of another Christian's walk

in what they experience

becomes communicated to you.

It becomes incarnational.

And you see, man, his life

is such an inspiration to me.

And you go away longing to be that way.

And you go away with new lessons

of: I could do that that he did.

I hadn't thought about that, you know.

And you're adding to your faith

and you're growing.

So it really is true.