The mistake I made, however, was thinking stepping out of ministry would solve our challenges. We did not continue the hard work we needed to do to reach a place of health, and ended up in a worse place than before. Only through the grace of God and some excellent counselors did we finally learn how to have a healthy marriage and a healthy ministry.
(You can read more about our journey in ministry and marriage in our new book, Together: A guide for couples in ministry.)
If your family is suffering because of your role at a church you need to seriously evaluate whether it is time to step away. If you do leave, however, don’t repeat my mistake. Get the help you need to rebuild your marriage and family.
Two final pieces of advice as you are considering making a move. The first comes from a mentor who told me, “Opportunity is often temptation in disguise.” Just because you have another opportunity doesn’t mean it’s time to leave.
The second piece of advice comes from years and years of ministry and life; it is almost always too soon to quit. Unless one of the reasons above really resonates for you, hang in there. God is still at work.
A decision to stay or go is always tough. If you’d like someone to process with, don’t hesitate to email me at geoff@ministrytogether.com and let’s talk.
The original article appeared here.
