The vulnerable pastor …

Jesus loved people!

As you read the Gospels and study the life of Christ, you can see and sense that Jesus thrived being in the midst of people to minister to them. But it also took a lot out of Him! How He handled recuperating from the drain of ministry is something those in vocational and bi-vocational ministry need to learn from.

In short, He rested!

Like Jesus, pastors today need to take seriously the need to rest from ministry in order to be able to minister to others effectively.

This need for pastors to rest regularly is captured creatively by Julia Layton in her exploration into what makes a cheetah run so fast …

The cheetah is an amazing animal. Known as the fastest animal on earth, it was literally designed by the Creator for speed.

Everything about a cheetah contributes to its superlative running skills. An oversized, powerful heart pumps huge amounts of blood; large lungs and nostrils allow for fast and deep air intake. A cheetah’s eyes are extra long so they can get a fast, wide-angle view of their surroundings even at top speed. It has an extra flexible spine that curves with each stride, acting something like a spring for the back legs. The large tail is both a rudder and counterweight to a cheetah’s body so it doesn’t spin out during fast turns. The flexible spine, combined with unique leg muscles that give a cheetah’s legs incredibly broad swing range, allow the animal to achieve a stride of 25 feet, completing up to three strides per second with only one foot on the ground at any time. Hard, ridged foot pads and blunt, non-retractable claws maximize traction with the ground.

The combination of all these special anatomical characteristics allows the cheetah to attain speeds of up to 70 miles per hour! Unfortunately, though, the drain on its heart is such that it cannot maintain it for more than about 600 yards. The chase puts a nearly unbearable strain on its heart.

Exhausted and overheated, if it does not catch its prey in those first 600 yards, it must forfeit the kill and rest. Even if it does make the kill, the cheetah must take time to recuperate and recharge its energy before it can eat its kill. Either way, the weak and depleted powerhouse is now itself vulnerable and often falls prey to other predators in its weakened state.

Layton concludes by contrasting this brief study of the cheetah to the demands of ministry upon pastors …

Ironically, the cheetahs greatest strength, its speed, leads to its great vulnerability, the total depletion of its energy. Likewise, the immense physical, mental, and spiritual demands of ministry can take a toll, leaving the ministry leader exhausted, discouraged, and vulnerable.

Though you may possess an “oversized, powerful heart” for service, pace yourself. Remember, even Jesus sometimes had to pull away from the crowd to rest.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

There is nothing noble about running so long and so hard that you harm yourself. You will accomplish more on behalf of Christ by regularly withdrawing from the demands of ministry for rest. What that looks like, as well as how much and how often, is different for each minister, but whatever adequate rest is for you, make SURE you’re getting it!

Scotty