Take a second to consider the work of a minister if you find yourself exhausted. The highest and best moments of people’s lives and the lowest and worst moments are what a pastor deals with almost daily.

Weddings, baby dedications, baptisms, salvation experiences are what keep pastors in the game. Beautiful, glorious moments. Those Jesus moments where the body is fully functioning: giving, praying, and the Spirit is moving. It’s a piece of heaven here on this broken earth. It’s enough to make you cry big, embarrassing tears of joy.

There is the other side. Sickness and Death. Broken bodies and broken relationships. Addiction, pain, and loss. Tragedies that don’t make any sense, and there are no words that can even be prayed. You have to just start with the groan of your spirit as you seek His. Yet, these moments are a divine privilege. Sacred in themselves.

Nobody calls the pastor on the mundane days. So if you feel a little tired, and your spouse is a bit whooped, it may be for good reason.

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NLT).