When Counting Sheep is the Worst Way to Sleep

[pastor.travis]

“More than the quantity of physical activity, the real weight of leadership is emotional. The greatest stress on our well-being (and our family life) is the energy required to care for a community.�

I’ve always been envious (in a Godly way?) of my wife’s ability to seemingly shut off the fears and anxiety that creep up in the midst of ecclesiastical heartache. This is a trait Sarah inherited, or rather learned, from her own father – a man of great faith and simple trust in God.

In contra-distinction to my wife, I have found myself far too often wracked with worry, fears, and thoughts of worst-case scenarios regarding some difficulty in the church. Sleepless nights give way to grumpy mornings, no appetite, and harshness toward my children. As much as I’d like to imagine that I have matured in my faith and gained some traction on this tendency, the truth may be that recent years have simply seen less ministry conflict to worry about.

I appreciate the author’s exhortation that “the only true consolation for the relentless burden of leadership is the reality that God … neither slumbers nor sleeps.� While this is certainly true, and I have obtained this truth by faith, I am yet waiting for the day when my ministry fears and worries can be more habitually washed in the sure hope that “he is working all things together for good.�