This past week, I asked the people in my small group to pray for me, because while most people see me and I appear to always be up and ready for anything, the reality is that I am sometimes facing and fighting depression!  I have not been clinically diagnosed, but I know myself pretty well and I know the symptoms.  Every person handles it differently and there are a lot more people suffering with depression than realize it and are willing to admit it.

This should not really be a surprise to anyone that knows anything about pastors that love God and love people.  Our love drives us to the very edges and sometimes over the edge in an attempt to show and prove that love!

In the September/October 2000 edition of Physician Magazine, Dr. Walt Larimore, vice president of medical outreach at Focus on the Family, along with Rev. Bill Peel reported, “surveys indicate that 80 percent of pastors and 84 percent of their spouses are discouraged or are dealing with depression. In addition, more than 40 percent of pastors and 47 percent of their spouses report that they are suffering from burnout.”

The truth in my life is this:  The only thing that keeps me going a lot of days is my relationship with God through Jesus Christ!  I would have thrown my hands up and quit life a long time ago, if it wasn’t for the sustaining power and amazing grace of God that continually flows into and through my life.

Here are some steps that I am taking as I seek to allow God to heal me and give me victory:

1.)  Admission is the first step to real healing! If you don’t admit and acknowledge that you have a challenge, then you cannot really overcome and experience victory!  Just my getting it out, so that my family and friends know it and having the knowledge that they are praying for me, makes a huge difference!  It is not the only thing, but it is a very important thing!  It lets me and them know – I am not Jesus, just simply one of His servants and that’s okay!

2.) Unloading The Truck Is Important! When I talk with people who are living in frustration or depression, one of the things that I will encourage them to do is “unload their truck” by just getting out of their system and off their shoulders all that is bothering them!  This is hard for ministers, because we can’t do this with just anyone.  This is why it is very important to invest some time in building some trusting relationships with people who will allow you to unload your truck.  This is hard work, but well worth the effort in the long run and it’s the long run that matters!

3.)  Make time for physical exercise! Repeated studies have shown that cardiovascular exercise is very beneficial, because it boosts the level of serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that regulates mood.  Most of us do not think we have the time to exercise and if something has to be cut from the agenda, then this is usually what gets cut.  We cannot minister effectively and powerfully, if we don’t take care of ourselves.  Make the time even when you don’t see or feel the value.  Physical exercise is working inside and out for your healing!

4.) Rest And Family Matter More Than You Realize! Most of us ministers do not know how to rest and relax.  Our heart, spirit and mind tend to get stuck in the on position!  Even when we are sitting in a chair or laying in bed, it does not mean that we are resting.  And when we are spending a little time with family and should be relaxing, we are often doing everything, but relaxing!  This is something that we have to retrain ourselves to do!  When you are in a chair, in the bed or spending time with family, you have to make yourself think about doing it right and not on auto-pilot!  God gave you rest and family, so that you could be replenished with the good stuff of relaxation and relationship.  Don’t miss what God gave you!

5.) Spiritual Discipline Has To Be More Than The Motions! I saved this one for last, because this is one that we can fool ourselves into believing that we have taken care of!  Just because you are going through the motions, does not mean that you are doing anything of significance for yourself or the Kingdom.  Make sure that your devotion time with God is about your growing in relationship with Him.  There is nothing that can give you what this gives you!

You may not consider yourself to be a minister, but these five steps will help you, if you take them.  Let’s take these steps together and be amazed at where God takes us!

I started this rewind several times last night, but I was just too tired, emotional and excited.  I was all over the place and in a lot worse way than my usual self.  I finally decided around midnight to just go to sleep and try again in the morning, so here I am and here it is!

Yesterday was another incredible Sunday in the life of a church called Northwood, but wait, doesn’t it seem like we say that every week?  Sunday was great, but all of our Sunday’s are great.  I catch myself thinking that the Sundays seem to get better and better, but then there is this thought that there was something wrong with the Sunday before and that’s just not the case!

Maybe it’s not that the Sundays are getting better and better, but that we are getting better and better at appreciating what God does for and gives to us on Sunday after Sunday!

Rewind:

-Began the morning by thinking about the fact that there is a lot of activity at Northwood.  And it is not just busy activity.  This activity represents ministry!

-Thought about all of the people who just come, but don’t get involved, especially long time attenders.  I can’t help but feel sorry for them, because they just don’t know what they are missing!

-Had a great time in our Bible Fellowship Class!  This is a great group of men and women and it is incredible how God uses each of us to teach and encourage one another.  I am so excited about how this group has the potential to impact lives!

-Morning worship was great!  Surprised and I shouldn’t be at how the Holy Spirit has everything planned out to fit hand in glove.  When the worship was planned, not a one of us had any idea that I would be announcing a special gift to the church, but was reminded that God knew it all alone when we sang “How Great Thou Art!” and the choir reminded us that “He’s An On Time God!”

-Thankful for both campuses!  Glad that I have spiritual family that is thankful and willing to give of themselves to make it happen.  So very excited about what God is up to and the possibilities that lay in front of us!

-I think that every message the Lord allows me to preach is the most important message that I have ever preached, but the message yesterday was one that every Northwooder needs to hear, take to heart and put into practice.  We need to put it into practice, because not a one of us have got this thing perfected!  And isn’t it great that God offers us these opportunities for improvement, growth and blessing!

-Had to run to two hospitals to spend a little time with a couple of sweet ladies.  Thankful that I was able to be away from Northwood and know that everything for Sweet Treat was progressing as planned because we have a great team of fellow ministers!  In this day when a lot of guys just want to preach and lead, I am still thankful that God has put in my heart a desire for it all.  I love to preach, but am really blessed that I get to pastor and blessed to have people around me that make it all possible!

-On my way in, I ran by Sams and grabbed extra candy, but that would not be enough!  Sweet Treat saw our largest crowd and they were there early.  At one point we had people wrapped around both sides of the education building!  We had well over 100 treat stops and the smile on my face should have told you that I was relieved and very happy!  We had a lot of very good help inside and out!  My only concern at this point was candy!  Glad Jim could make the run and get back just in time!  Once we opened the lines, everything worked just like it was planned – God has taught us a thing or two about BIG EVENT ministry and we have learned and are learning!

-At the end of the night, we actually had Northwooders asking what do you need us to do before we go?  It was beautiful to watch as we all worked together to take it all down and put it back into place, so that the ministry of the church could continue without any hindrances!

-It was another great day and night in the ministry of a church that many of us have come to know and love as Northwood – The Place Of Right Direction!  I am so thankful that God is teaching us to find and travel in right direction and amazed at how He allows us to help others to find right direction too!

Thank you so much for all that you do!  When each of us are obedient to God’s calling upon our lives, He will bring us together and allow us “together” to do things that we could never do a part!

God Bless, Press On & G3!