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5 Ways to Relax in God’s Goodness

Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise

God's Power to Change Your Life

Life's Healing Choices

I’ll never forget my first year leading Saddleback Church. I constantly worked 18-hour days. In fact, Kay did, too. On the last Sunday of that first year, I stood up to speak and fainted. I was exhausted. Over the next year, God taught me some things that were critical in helping me continue the next 40 years of ministry at Saddleback. During that year, God gave me these Scriptures: “I will not do it all in one year, for the land would become a wilderness, and the wild animals would become too many to control. But I will drive them out a little at a time, until your population has increased enough to fill the land” (Exodus 23:29-30 TLB). Those verses changed my life. They’re the reason I call the principles in this passage “pacing growth.” Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is the church. We need to learn to relax or we’ll burn out. But relaxing is hard for most of us. In this article, I’ll share with you five reasons we struggle to relax—and what we can do to change that.

Misplaced identity: Basing your worth on your work.

Too often we’re tempted to base our value on arbitrary issues like how many people attend worship or what our critics are saying about us. Ecclesiastes 10:15 calls that foolish: “Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work” (GNT). Antidote: Remember your value to God. This is the exact opposite of basing your worth on your work. You were created by God for a purpose. The fact that you’re alive proves this. If this weekend you preached your last sermon, you wouldn’t lose one ounce of your value. If tomorrow you resigned from your ministry position, you would still be extremely valuable to God and the world that he put you in.

Materialism: Always wanting more.

When we want more things, we need to make more money to pay for them. Proverbs 23:4-5 warns us about the impact of materialism on our lives: “Do not wear yourself out getting rich. Be smart enough to stop. Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky” (GW). Antidote: Enjoy what you already have. You can learn to relax if you simply learn to be content with what you have. Contentment, however, doesn’t come naturally to us as humans. But we can learn contentment. Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (NIV). Nobody ever asks for things in their dying moments. They ask for people. We need to learn that truth earlier in life. We’d save ourselves a lot of stress.

Envy: Wanting to keep busy like everyone else.

Pastor, you can’t keep up with the Joneses. It’ll cause you to do things you really don’t want to do. Maybe you’re keeping up with the ministry pace of another leader. Maybe you’re trying to get your kids in the same activities that other families in your church are in. Maybe you’re trying to be on social media just as much as someone else. Solomon understood why this strategy was bad: “Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:4 NLT). Antidote: Limit your work to six days a week. If you’re not doing this, you’re breaking one of the 10 Commandments. Rest and recreation are so important that God put it in the top 10! Just because you work on Sundays doesn’t mean you forfeit your Sabbath. For example, my Sabbath is on Monday. What do you do during a Sabbath?

Rest your body.
Recharge your emotions. Do something fun.
Refocus your spirit. Spend some time in worship.

Again, pastor, this probably isn’t a Sunday for you. But you need a day like this every week.

Pride: Valuing achievement over relationships.

We all know people who have walked away from marriages because they valued achievements more than relationships. Sadly, we’ve seen pastors do this as well. When your goals are more important than people, you are in trouble. Again, this is a trend that Solomon saw in his day. He wrote: “I observed yet another example of something meaningless under the sun. This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, ‘Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?’ It is all so meaningless and depressing” (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 NLT). Antidote: Adjust your values. To reduce the busyness in our lives, we must change what we think is important. Pastor, ask yourself, “What is really important in my life?” If you left your church tomorrow, the church would find another pastor. But your family and friends can’t get another you. You are absolutely indispensable to them. Jesus once asked, “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8:36 NLT). It’s a great question for us to consider as we look to adjust our values. What are you forfeiting in order to grow your ministry? Are you forfeiting your health? Are you forfeiting your relationship with your family? It’s not worth it.

Insecurity: Being afraid you won’t have enough.

I remember having a conversation with a very wealthy man. I asked him, “How much more do you need before you’ll be secure?” “About 20 to 30 million more,” he told me. The truth is, if we’re trying to make enough money to find security, we won’t find it. You can never have enough security for that to happen. That’s one reason we keep working so hard and can’t relax. The Bible calls that senseless (Psalm 127:2). Antidote: Exchange your restlessness for God’s peace. God takes care of the birds and the wildflowers (Matthew 6:26-30), and he’ll take care of you, too. God loves you, and he wants to provide for your needs. You don’t need to fear tomorrow. It’s no accident that Psalm 23—one of the most famous chapters in the entire Bible—begins with: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need” (Psalm 23:1 NCV). When you recognize that God is your shepherd and he takes care of your needs, it becomes much easier to “rest in green pastures” (v.2). But you must give up the roaming. Like sheep, our tendency is to wander off course. We don’t need to do that. God is taking care of our needs. We can rest in him. Pastor, I challenge you to do more than just read these five antidotes. Apply them to your life and help your congregation do the same. God wants to use you for the long haul. You can’t do that if you burn out.

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When God Won’t Let You Look Away

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.” Isaiah 58:9–10 (GNT)What’s been weighing on you lately? Not the petty stuff. The things you can’t shake.The family that’s one bill away from collapse. The kid who keeps showing up hungry. Or the quiet prejudice that never announces itself—just leaves bruises.This is the “normal" that never should’ve become normal. That kind of holy disturbance might actually be a gift.Esther felt it too. When the threat against her people became real, she was “deeply disturbed” (Esther 4:4 GNT). It didn’t just make her anxious. It pushed her toward a costly step. She prayed. She sought counsel. She chose faithfulness over self-protection. Then she acted.A lot of pastors feel disturbed right now—and tired. You’re writing a sermon, doing a hospital run, trying to make sense of the budget, and your phone still lights up with another crisis text late at night.It’s easy to assume you have to fix everything you notice. You don’t. But you also don’t have to ignore what God has put in front of you.Isaiah 58 describes a life that refuses contempt, refuses oppression, and feeds the hungry. And it ties a promise to that kind of life.When you lean toward justice and mercy, God doesn’t leave you stumbling around in the dark. God guides you. God strengthens you. God supplies what you can’t manufacture on your own.So here’s a simple Monday question to carry into your week:What is one need God is putting within your reach—not so you can save the world, but so you can love your neighbor with integrity?Maybe it’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding. A person you need to see. A practical gift. A small act of advocacy. Or a team you gather so you’re not carrying it alone.Let the disturbance do its work. Then take the next faithful step.

Trusting God When Results Take Time

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways.” (Psalm 37:7 NIV).Pastor, you may not hear the word fret much anymore. It’s an old word that simply means worry. And if there’s one thing ministry can stir up quickly, it’s worry.You worry when things are moving too fast and you’re trying to keep up. You worry when things feel painfully slow and you’re wondering why God hasn’t acted yet. You worry when you look around and it seems like other pastors, other churches, other ministries are succeeding while you’re still waiting.Waiting is hard—especially when you’re responsible for people. But choosing to wait patiently on God instead of fretting is a powerful act of faith. It’s a declaration about who God is. When you wait without worry, you’re saying, “God, I trust your timing more than my pressure.”That’s why Scripture says, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways” (Psalm 37:7 NIV). God knew comparison would be one of the greatest sources of anxiety for his leaders.One of the fastest ways to drain your joy in ministry is comparison. When you focus on another pastor’s platform, another church’s growth, or another leader’s results, you stop paying attention to what God is doing right in front of you. And comparison always leads to fretting.But God didn’t call you to someone else’s assignment. He didn’t ask you to carry someone else’s results. He asked you to be faithful where you are.Worry won’t help you do that. Worry is worthless. It can’t change yesterday’s sermon. It can’t control next Sunday’s attendance. It can’t speed up God’s process. It only steals today’s peace.That’s why Scripture gives such practical counsel: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers” (Philippians 4:6 MSG).Worry never changes anything—but prayer does.So as you step into this week, pastor, resist the urge to rush God or compare yourself to others. Be still. Wait patiently. Trust that God is at work even when progress feels slow.You don’t need to fret this season. You need to pray—and keep walking faithfully in the calling God has already placed on your life.

How to Cooperate as God Works in You

Pastor, you want to see fruit—in your life and in the people and ministry of your church. The Bible calls that “the fruit of the Spirit”—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23 NIV).These nine qualities describe the character of a mature disciple and the kind of leader you’re becoming.So how does God grow this fruit in you? He uses a process. Here are two facts you need to know if you want to cooperate with that process.1) Spiritual growth is a partnership.Paul writes, “Work out your salvation . . . for it is God who works in you” (Philippians 2:12–13 NIV).That’s not a contradiction—it’s a paradox. You don’t work for your salvation. You work out what God has already put in. In a physical workout you develop muscles you already have; in a spiritual workout you cultivate the new life God has already given you.God has a part in your growth, and you have a part. He provides the power—but you need to flip the switch. Your job is to cooperate with what he’s doing.2) Spiritual fruit ripens over time.There’s no such thing as instant spiritual maturity. It takes time for fruit to ripen—and when you try to rush fruit, you ruin the flavor. The same is true in ministry. You can accelerate activity, but you can’t microwave character. God grows fruit season by season.How to Cooperate with the Spirit’s Growth ProcessImmerse yourself in Scripture. Read, study, memorize, and meditate so God’s Word reshapes your thinking.Pray honestly. Talk with God about everything you’re facing. Invite the Spirit to search you and lead you.Surrender daily. Give the Holy Spirit free rein—no compartments and no conditions.Receive your circumstances. Trust that God is using both pleasant and painful seasons to form Christlike character.Respond like Jesus. Ask, “What would Christ’s love, patience, or gentleness look like right here?” Then do it.God wants to produce the fruit of the Spirit in your life and leadership. Will you cooperate with him in this life-changing process?

Tell God How You’re Feeling

“[God] has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead. . . . And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers.” Lamentations 3:4–6, 8 (NLT)If you’ve been in ministry long enough, you know what it feels like to be poured out and still feel empty. The sermon is preached. The hospital visits are made. The hard conversations are had. And yet, sometimes, instead of joy or peace, all that remains is silence—and sadness.Maybe it’s a critical email after a long Sunday. Maybe it’s watching your church shrink despite your best efforts. Maybe it’s conflict in your leadership team, or the quiet ache of seeing people walk away from the faith. And in those moments, you wonder, Where is God in this?Jeremiah knew that feeling well. In Lamentations, he’s not giving a neat theological answer—he’s groaning. He says, “[God] has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. . . . And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers” (Lamentations 3:4, 8 NLT).Sound familiar?It might surprise you that such raw emotion is in the Bible—but it’s there for a reason. Jeremiah didn’t bottle it up or try to sound strong. He didn’t pretend everything was okay. He poured it all out before God.Pastor, you don’t have to stuff your emotions either.God isn’t intimidated by your questions. He doesn’t flinch when you’re angry, exhausted, or confused. You’re not less spiritual for being honest—you’re actually stepping into a kind of worship that leads to healing.If you try to keep all that pain inside, it will find its way out—maybe through anxiety, resentment, even burnout. But when you give it to God—every ounce of frustration, fear, and fatigue—you start to find space to breathe again.God doesn't need you to be strong for him. He already knows your heart. So tell him the truth. Not the polished version. The real one.He can handle it.And more importantly, he’s not going anywhere.

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