What does it mean to be a Healthy Pastor?
Jason Tourville and I, on the Recalibrate podcast, have talked about mental health, social health, spiritual health, resilience, church health, but what about the elusive topic of physical health? I think it’s quite possible to benignly neglect vocalization of the topic. By doing so, this ensures an evasive discussion of the physical health of the pastor. This is a break out blog post about a struggle that we all face.
The late great Christian apologist, Francis Schaeffer, once aptly titled a book, “How Shall We Then Live?” Though the book and video series was a critique of shifting foundations of Western culture, I think the idea about the question can speak to us as a signpost to something more.
To answer that question in terms of physical health, one should begin with our own identity. Who are we?
We are pastors or ministers of Jesus Christ.
Just as the Jews (Romans 3:2) are the people of the Book and stewards of the very words of God, so we are now.
We are analysts and thought leaders of the church and our culture from a Biblical worldview.
We are primarily handlers of truth (II Tim 2:15). These are words of life and the way of salvation. What a privilege!
If anyone can distinguish truth from those who are dealing facts and slinging fiction in our culture, it is pastors. It just takes discernment.
John Adams our founding father, and a lawyer by trade said, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
How shall we then live?
3 Facts for Long Lasting Pastoral Health
Start with Managing Stress. Stress creates cortisol in the bloodstream. It’s released from the adrenal gland. Extra cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood sugar, suppress the immune system, and reduce metabolism. Under stress, the body craves more food as it’s acting in the “fight and flight” mode. “I must eat more to survive.” We can more easily gain unhealthy weight and reduce our ability to fulfill our purpose in life under extended amounts of stress. There is a direct correlation of poor eating habits to struggling mental health conditions. How does one manage stress? One needs to manage margins and boundaries. Boundaries bring confidence and hope in our lives. No one is going to do this for you. You have to say, “no” to the good so you can say, “yes” to be best. Your good health depends on managing stress.
Nutrition or the Lack-thereof. What we know: obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. These are some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Some of us have biological predispositions to these dilemmas and it makes it harder on us. I like what the German Philosopher Fredrick Nietzsche said, “He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” These powerful psychological words mean something to the effect that what we are afraid of rightly doing makes us into something we already fret, becoming our worst self. We must take care of ourselves. We are fighting monsters (Ephesians 6:10-18). The food industry is masterful at creating addictions. I know my preferential food weaknesses. How do we make this practical about our physical health?
Nutritional Facts. Just because we might add something good to our diet doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to have improved health. We can add supplements (protein powder and vitamins) or so called, “super foods,” like berries, fatty fish, spinach, nuts, olive oil, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, and brussels sprouts), and legumes, which are all optimal foods. However, if we are also eating processed food (manufactured, non-whole foods) that are high in sugar, made with corn syrup or canola/vegetable oil, refined (unnatural) carbohydrates like donuts or Doritos, we’ve taken 1 step forward and 2 steps backwards.
Just as immersing myself in God’s Word renews my soul and relationship with the Trinity, spending time educating myself about what is healthy and what is actually poison, helps me create internal conditions about healthy choices of food at the grocery store, what I cook, and what I want to have available to snack on from my pantry.
Exercise. You don’t have to be an ultra-marathon runner or live in a Cross-Fit gym to experience health benefits from exercise. I think if we’re honest with ourselves we need to be moving a lot more than how we are socialized in our sedentary world. For full details of Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans go to Health.Gov and review the recommendations there. But, let’s start with 30 to 45 minutes of concentrated walking/running or aerobic exercise a day. It’s important that some days require elevating your heart rate so that you are experiencing vigorous exercise. Get that heart muscle pumping. Resistance training with weights or natural exercises such as planks, push-ups, sit-ups, and squats are easy to do at home and don’t require a gym membership. Personally, I like to think the outdoors is my gym membership.
Physically Healthy Pastors? Manage stress, educate and monitor nutritional intake, be vigilant to incorporate exercise into your daily life. You will feel better, think better, and spiritually live better. This is just a start.
Recalibrating Physical Health at Thrive: 5K Fun Run/Walk
At this coming Thrive, on Tuesday afternoon, I am hosting a 5K Run/Walk on the Bongiorno Conference Center grounds. This is not to see who is the fastest. This is a symbolic gesture of two things: 1) We take ourselves and our God seriously to be stewards of our body and manage our health and its relationship to the vocational call. There are no medals or age groups, and no one is counting who is first or last. It’s a time to exercise, fellowship, and celebration with others. Can it be your goal to run or walk a 5K in about an hour? ALL fitness levels are welcome. It doesn’t matter what time you finish. Come, just do it! 2) If you decide to sign-up, for $35.00 you will receive a Healthy Pastors 5K T-shirt as well as participate in the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Bongiorno Conference Center through this event. All proceeds from the t-shirts go to the construction costs of the Crosby Missions House.
See you at Thrive, on Tuesday at 2:00 PM, with your new Healthy Pastors t-shirt swag.
Health Pastors/Thriving Churches!
~Paul Lynn
Minister Care Lead
