1 00:00:00,237 --> 00:00:03,018 There are some practical things 2 00:00:03,018 --> 00:00:08,391 in this work of being a pastor 3 00:00:08,391 --> 00:00:12,550 in the way of not burning out. 4 00:00:12,550 --> 00:00:18,348 You want to be there over the long haul. 5 00:00:18,348 --> 00:00:19,969 Charles and Dick - 6 00:00:19,969 --> 00:00:24,959 they had a celebration up there 7 00:00:24,959 --> 00:00:26,037 at Lake Road. 8 00:00:26,037 --> 00:00:30,160 Forty years in the ministry back then. 9 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,817 It's forty-plus now. 10 00:00:34,817 --> 00:00:37,607 That's what you want long term. 11 00:00:37,607 --> 00:00:43,806 Survive as long as God would have you there. 12 00:00:43,806 --> 00:00:45,788 There are maybe some practical things 13 00:00:45,788 --> 00:00:48,697 that help someone to survive 14 00:00:48,697 --> 00:00:50,687 in the work of the ministry 15 00:00:50,687 --> 00:00:53,906 that are sometimes overlooked. 16 00:00:53,906 --> 00:00:56,308 I guess I could just offer that 17 00:00:56,308 --> 00:00:59,685 in consideration. 18 00:00:59,685 --> 00:01:03,915 I've been told by some to take a day off. 19 00:01:03,915 --> 00:01:06,576 Take one day out of the week as a pastor 20 00:01:06,576 --> 00:01:08,738 and make it a day off. 21 00:01:08,738 --> 00:01:11,432 I was initially reluctant to do that, 22 00:01:11,432 --> 00:01:14,143 but I have adopted that. 23 00:01:14,143 --> 00:01:17,437 Tim and Ruby Conway suggested that to me 24 00:01:17,437 --> 00:01:19,718 in concern for me during the hard times 25 00:01:19,718 --> 00:01:21,133 that we were going through, 26 00:01:21,133 --> 00:01:22,515 and it was very helpful. 27 00:01:22,515 --> 00:01:25,257 I'm so thankful they did. 28 00:01:25,257 --> 00:01:26,616 During that time off, 29 00:01:26,616 --> 00:01:31,115 I don't hold to it as something 30 00:01:31,115 --> 00:01:34,205 that is binding in the sense that 31 00:01:34,205 --> 00:01:35,735 if someone had an emergency, 32 00:01:35,735 --> 00:01:38,411 I would turn my back on them. 33 00:01:38,411 --> 00:01:40,116 It's not like that. 34 00:01:40,116 --> 00:01:44,477 But my focus on that day off is different. 35 00:01:44,477 --> 00:01:47,921 I don't pore over the books on that day off. 36 00:01:47,921 --> 00:01:50,240 You know, Solomon said 37 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,372 excessive attention to books 38 00:01:53,372 --> 00:01:55,403 is wearying to the body. 39 00:01:55,403 --> 00:01:58,320 We need a day off during that time. 40 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,935 And so I don't pore over the books 41 00:02:01,935 --> 00:02:04,578 quite like I would normally 42 00:02:04,578 --> 00:02:06,180 on that day off. 43 00:02:06,180 --> 00:02:13,282 I tend to do things that are more recreational. 44 00:02:13,282 --> 00:02:17,678 I like landscaping and flowers. 45 00:02:17,678 --> 00:02:22,371 I am a fan of - a supporter of - a hobby 46 00:02:22,371 --> 00:02:25,629 for a man to have; a pastor to have. 47 00:02:25,629 --> 00:02:27,130 Something that's mindless. 48 00:02:27,130 --> 00:02:30,398 Something that he enjoys doing. 49 00:02:30,398 --> 00:02:32,395 I think that helps. 50 00:02:32,395 --> 00:02:36,969 It helps the emotional; it helps the mind 51 00:02:36,969 --> 00:02:38,556 to relax and unwind. 52 00:02:38,556 --> 00:02:40,136 You can't keep that heart 53 00:02:40,136 --> 00:02:42,629 strung tight all the time. 54 00:02:42,629 --> 00:02:45,888 You've got to let the strings loose sometimes. 55 00:02:45,888 --> 00:02:47,930 And so I have flowers. 56 00:02:47,930 --> 00:02:52,632 I like to shoot guns and do things like that. 57 00:02:52,632 --> 00:02:53,847 Something relaxing, 58 00:02:53,847 --> 00:02:56,721 something that lets the mind go. 59 00:02:56,721 --> 00:03:00,167 Those are helps to avoid burnout. 60 00:03:00,167 --> 00:03:04,408 It helps to get physical exercise 61 00:03:04,408 --> 00:03:08,085 for a man in the ministry. 62 00:03:08,085 --> 00:03:10,001 The way that I'm wired, 63 00:03:10,001 --> 00:03:11,997 for some reason, I've got to have 64 00:03:11,997 --> 00:03:14,376 some intense physical exercise 65 00:03:14,376 --> 00:03:17,623 on a regular basis or I start feeling 66 00:03:17,623 --> 00:03:21,401 low and lethargic and not doing very well. 67 00:03:21,401 --> 00:03:24,460 So I go to the gym. 68 00:03:24,460 --> 00:03:26,800 I do CrossFit myself. 69 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,171 Others might go on walks 70 00:03:29,171 --> 00:03:30,990 or others might take up running. 71 00:03:30,990 --> 00:03:33,827 I had a lot of benefit from running 72 00:03:33,827 --> 00:03:37,483 when I was able to do it. 73 00:03:37,483 --> 00:03:40,317 The Lord just came to me and cleared my thoughts. 74 00:03:40,317 --> 00:03:44,455 Sermons ordered themselves on a nice run. 75 00:03:44,455 --> 00:03:46,464 So those kinds of things really help 76 00:03:46,464 --> 00:03:50,049 in the way of not being burned out 77 00:03:50,049 --> 00:03:56,345 and maintaining some sort of mental resilience, 78 00:03:56,345 --> 00:04:01,652 emotional resilience in the work of the ministry. 79 00:04:01,652 --> 00:04:11,209 Kind of an attitude of outlasting problems. 80 00:04:11,209 --> 00:04:14,124 A hunker-down kind of an attitude. 81 00:04:14,124 --> 00:04:15,798 The Lord will help me through it. 82 00:04:15,798 --> 00:04:17,687 We'll endure it. It's just a season. 83 00:04:17,687 --> 00:04:18,874 We can get through it. 84 00:04:18,874 --> 00:04:24,600 We tend to think it's going to be the end of us, you know. 85 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:30,998 So the Lord helps in those ways too. 86 00:04:30,998 --> 00:04:33,038 James: Any other practical things 87 00:04:33,038 --> 00:04:36,174 or those kind of the ones you had on your mind? 88 00:04:36,174 --> 00:04:38,582 Clint: We need to be able to get rest. 89 00:04:38,582 --> 00:04:41,246 We've got to be able to sleep. 90 00:04:41,246 --> 00:04:44,427 If you can't sleep, 91 00:04:44,427 --> 00:04:47,436 you're going to go down hill in a hurry emotionally. 92 00:04:47,436 --> 00:04:50,362 You've got to be able to get some rest and sleep. 93 00:04:50,362 --> 00:04:52,532 Keep regular hours. 94 00:04:52,532 --> 00:04:55,734 Not burn the midnight oil - up all night 95 00:04:55,734 --> 00:05:00,476 trying to prepare a sermon for Sunday or something. 96 00:05:00,476 --> 00:05:02,835 That might be an emergency situation, 97 00:05:02,835 --> 00:05:05,893 but it ought not to be the regular. 98 00:05:05,893 --> 00:05:07,992 There's no reason why the Lord 99 00:05:07,992 --> 00:05:10,272 can't bring a sermon on Monday, 100 00:05:10,272 --> 00:05:13,527 and it doesn't have to come on Saturday. 101 00:05:13,527 --> 00:05:16,583 So I start in the work early. 102 00:05:16,583 --> 00:05:19,085 If Monday's my day off, I might not 103 00:05:19,085 --> 00:05:21,998 give any thought to it on Monday, 104 00:05:21,998 --> 00:05:23,536 but when Tuesday comes, 105 00:05:23,536 --> 00:05:26,506 I start working on what I need to speak on 106 00:05:26,506 --> 00:05:28,455 in the following Sunday. 107 00:05:28,455 --> 00:05:30,773 I don't want to arrive at Saturday 108 00:05:30,773 --> 00:05:32,152 and not have anything. 109 00:05:32,152 --> 00:05:34,302 It's too stressful for me. 110 00:05:34,302 --> 00:05:36,216 That's me. 111 00:05:36,216 --> 00:05:38,739 Other men are really able to do that, 112 00:05:38,739 --> 00:05:41,254 but I'm not. 113 00:05:41,254 --> 00:05:43,857 I'm too weak for that approach. 114 00:05:43,857 --> 00:05:45,317 I've got to start early. 115 00:05:45,317 --> 00:05:46,637 James: Me too. 116 00:05:46,637 --> 00:05:48,952 Clint: And so that's where I'm at. 117 00:05:48,952 --> 00:05:51,795 Learn to compartmentalize. That helps. 118 00:05:51,795 --> 00:05:54,199 In other words, here's this issue 119 00:05:54,199 --> 00:05:56,953 or here's this thing I need to think about, 120 00:05:56,953 --> 00:05:59,657 but I'm not going to think about it now. 121 00:05:59,657 --> 00:06:02,743 I'm going to think about it two days from now. 122 00:06:02,743 --> 00:06:05,158 When two days are up, then I'll think about it. 123 00:06:05,158 --> 00:06:06,822 In the meantime, 124 00:06:06,822 --> 00:06:09,386 I'll let my mind rest. 125 00:06:09,386 --> 00:06:11,352 Compartmentalize. 126 00:06:11,352 --> 00:06:14,564 It's maybe just a mind game, 127 00:06:14,564 --> 00:06:17,665 but it helps. 128 00:06:17,665 --> 00:06:19,590 And then, don't lie to yourself. 129 00:06:19,590 --> 00:06:21,544 When that day comes, take it up 130 00:06:21,544 --> 00:06:24,285 and begin to think about it seriously. 131 00:06:24,285 --> 00:06:26,956 But in the meantime, 132 00:06:26,956 --> 00:06:29,329 as best you're able, 133 00:06:29,329 --> 00:06:32,473 don't think about it then. 134 00:06:32,473 --> 00:06:35,644 It's a challenge because problems - 135 00:06:35,644 --> 00:06:38,417 they tyrannize your mind. 136 00:06:38,417 --> 00:06:41,040 They take over. 137 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,186 You can't ignore a T-Rex, you know, 138 00:06:44,186 --> 00:06:46,266 in the dinosaur world. 139 00:06:46,266 --> 00:06:49,476 And so problems become like that. 140 00:06:49,476 --> 00:06:51,536 They're hard to ignore. 141 00:06:51,536 --> 00:06:55,692 But in reality, we're not ignoring it. 142 00:06:55,692 --> 00:06:57,373 We're just postponing the time 143 00:06:57,373 --> 00:07:00,401 when we're going to put the energy into it. 144 00:07:00,401 --> 00:07:04,668 That's I guess what I mean by compartmentalizing. 145 00:07:04,668 --> 00:07:07,343 It's a trick that's helpful 146 00:07:07,343 --> 00:07:10,808 when it comes to not burning out 147 00:07:10,808 --> 00:07:14,086 and lasting. 148 00:07:14,086 --> 00:07:17,466 You can select another part of this interview below 149 00:07:17,466 --> 00:07:20,416 or if you're listening, you can find the rest of the interview 150 00:07:20,416 --> 00:07:23,761 on illbehonest.com or our mobile app.