There is a particular kind of exhaustion that settles into the bones of those who serve others in the name of God. It is not laziness. It is not faithlessness. It is the weight that accumulates when a person pours out, week after week, the living water of the gospel—and quietly forgets to drink. Pastors, elders, ministry workers, and all who shepherd God’s people know this weariness intimately. And Scripture, far from ignoring it, speaks to it with stunning directness.
Read the source article from Tabletalk Magazine, where Dr. David Strain offers gospel-rooted encouragement for pastors seeking to endure in the long haul of ministry. His words are a timely reminder that the answer to ministerial weariness is not a better self-care strategy—it is Jesus Christ Himself.
The Human Condition Behind the Weariness
To understand why ministry is so costly, we must first understand what Scripture says about the world into which pastors are sent. The prophet Jeremiah ministered to a people who had, as God described it, committed a double evil:
