It’s one thing to love ministry when everything is going well—the church is growing, volunteers are showing up, and the Spirit feels close. But what about the days when you’re running on fumes?
When the sermon feels flat, the meetings drain your joy, and the phone won’t stop buzzing with needs you can’t meet? Every pastor, leader, and servant of the church knows this territory. The question is: how do we keep loving ministry when we’re tired?
Fatigue is not failure. It’s a sign that you’ve been giving deeply. But love for ministry, like any love, needs tending if it’s going to last.
15 Ways to Keep Loving Ministry When You’re Tired
1. Remember Why You Began
When exhaustion sets in, go back to your first calling. Recall the moment when God’s grace gripped you and you said, “Here I am, Lord.” Write down what stirred your heart then, and pray that God rekindles it now. The same Spirit who called you still sustains you.
Paul told Timothy, “Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6). Sometimes the flame isn’t gone—it just needs air.
2. Rest Is Not a Reward
Too many leaders treat rest as something to be earned. Jesus didn’t. He withdrew often to solitary places and prayed. If the Son of God needed to rest, so do you.
Take a Sabbath seriously—not as a luxury, but as obedience. Rest reminds us that God’s kingdom keeps moving even when we stop.
3. Let Ministry Flow From Being, Not Doing
When tiredness takes over, it’s easy to measure worth by activity. But ministry is not performance; it’s overflow. When your own soul is nourished, what you offer others has life. Start the day with Scripture not because it’s your job, but because it’s your lifeline.
Dallas Willard once said, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” It’s in the unhurried presence of Jesus that joy returns.
4. Simplify Your Load
You can’t do everything. Ministry tends to multiply responsibilities until the joy disappears under the weight. Take an honest look at what drains you most. Delegate, delay, or drop what doesn’t align with your core mission.
One pastor discovered that eliminating just one weekly meeting opened space for prayer and creativity. Sometimes subtraction leads to spiritual addition.
RELATED: When Ministry Begins to Suck the Life Out of You
5. Reconnect With People Who Give Life
Every shepherd needs shepherding. Who restores your soul? Find friends who listen without agenda, laugh freely, and remind you that you’re more than your role. A brief lunch with an encouraging friend can be a form of pastoral care—this time, for you.
6. Serve in Hidden Ways
When ministry feels heavy, do something unnoticed: write a note, visit a shut-in, clean up after an event. Serving quietly renews humility and gratitude. It helps us remember why we serve in the first place—because Jesus served us.
7. Learn to Say “No” Without Guilt
Not every opportunity is an assignment. Even Jesus turned away from crowds to stay focused on His purpose. Guard your “yes” so it carries weight. Ministry that never pauses eventually loses depth.
