Staying Well In 2023
Ron Ward
Spiritual Health
Genesis 2:2 says , “ By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing ; so on the seventh day he rested from all of his work .”
Most pastors and leaders are always giving to their congregation , family and staff . When you are always mindful of others , it is easy to neglect your own wellbeing . When I was a federal law enforcement officer and youth pastor , I allowed myself to become exhausted quite often . I didn ’ t carve out enough time to rest . When I failed to get enough rest , some type of sickness would follow . I came down with a cold , a sinus infection , or something worse . I would always justify my efforts and remind myself of the importance of others and the many deadlines that were looming . Like the Energizer Bunny , I would keep going and
going . Of course , the result was loss of sleep , no energy , and some type of sickness , which caused me to spend time on the couch trying to recover . There were other times when I would just carry on with work and ministry and power through sickness and exhaustion . Of course , during those instances , I was not very effective . Also , my prayer and meditation time was almost nonexistent . For many years , I just never took the appropriate steps to break the unhealthy cycle .
When I read scriptures such as , Proverbs 3:1-2 , which says , “ My son , do not forget my teaching , but keep my commands in your heart , for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity ,” I would equate that to trying not to sin . Later , I realized there was much more to it ... ( keep reading )
26