Summary

When it comes to stress in Christian ministry, Christmas is the time of year it hits the most. But there are two reasons why we shouldn’t brag about it. I shared the first one last week, here’s the second one.

I was prompted to write this post by two colleagues who once tweeted that for many pastors, stress in Christian ministry, particularly at Christmas appeared to be a badge of honour for some. One suggested that acting as if everything depends on us is, in fact, a form of idolatry. For those two reasons alone, I think we should stop bragging about how busy we are at this time of year.

Too often, long hours, no breaks and complaining of having no time are symptoms of being motivated by other people’s approval and to cement our very identity in our work. Click To Tweet

The Idolatry of Stress

The second reason to stop bragging about stress in our Christian ministry, especially at Christmas, is that it suggests our work has become our idol. We have fallen into the trap of worshipping our work rather than worshipping God. In fact, as my colleague suggested, it is worshipping ourselves as the controllers and saviours of the universe, instead of recognising that God is control.

If your ministry is getting the best part of your life this Christmas, and God is getting the leftovers, then you have tipped over into idolatry. If we are truly seeking to serve the Lord in our work, if we want our actions to reflect God’s sovereignty and his values, then our ministry will include rhythms of work and rest, even at Christmas. After all, I’m pretty sure that if I am grumpy and tired, I will not be reflecting Kingdom values to those I am seeking to help!

Our busyness is an indication of what motivates and empowers us. Too often, long hours, no breaks and complaining of having no time are symptoms of being motivated by other people’s approval and to cement our very identity in our work.

Worshipping and Honouring God in our Christmas Work

There is no doubt that Christmas is a busy time for those in Christian ministry. But let’s get the balance right, avoid bragging about how busy we are, and ensure that in all we do and who we are during this season, we are worshipping and honouring God. God bless you!

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash