Caring for Your Soul

Youth ministry is messy.  It’s messy because you are constantly caring for your teens.  I remember in my first couple of years struggling after a night of ministry because I was emotionally and spiritually drained.  I would spend an hour or so debriefing with a few trusted ministers, going home, crashing and not wanting to get up the next morning.  Youth ministry is like a battle that will just sometimes knock the life out of you.

Courtesy of familymwr/Creative Commons License

As a youth minister you are constantly serving and caring for the needs of teens, their families and even entire communities.  It’s an emotionally, spiritually and even physically exhausting experience to be a youth minister.  If you aren’t caring for your own soul, you’ll find yourself drained.  To not only endure, and care for your soul in youth ministry you need to make sure you:

• Find An Outlet – Youth ministry is consuming and that’s why you need a life outside of it.  While spending time with your family is a must, you’ll need something personal as well.  My wife helps me with this, whenever she sees me drained or pent up she’ll ask, “Have you gone for a run recently?”  Running is one of the many things I do when it comes to caring for my soul.  It allows me to exert energy in a healthy way.  To find your outlet make a list of what you enjoy, try a few of them out and make it a priority.

• Take A Break – The years get faster and the commitments get stronger.  It’s easy for us to lose sight of taking a break.  While vacations will give you some release, what you need to consider is more of a Sabbath.  A time where you have little to no agenda and you are just resting.  While it might be difficult to do, it’s something you need to schedule into your calendar on a regular basis (i.e. monthly).

• Record The Journey – With youth ministry being messy there are an array of your own emotions you need to process, writing them down will help you do that.  Keeping a journal is the key to laying out all the voices, and feelings.  Review them during prayer and offer it up to God.  It’s a simple act; however, it will have great impact on how you approach future situations.

• Sit With Others – You need to share your life with others or else it will consume you.  Whether it’s through a small group or counseling you need people in your life who are caring, praying for and advising  you.  If you do not have this in your life start out by asking a fellow youth worker or one of your volunteers.  Get their insight on how they are poured into.  

• Sit With God – Above all else, give what you have and hand it over to God.  I know it sounds cliche; however, if you are not involving God, then you will lose the battle.  Let God know your anger, frustration and disappointment.  If there is anyone you need to be real with it’s Him.  So often we remind our students of this; yet, we forget to do this ourselves.  Make this your number one priority and schedule it into your day.

Ministry is messy, it’s a marathon and a battle; but, it’s something you can do.  The evil one might try to trip you up; however, trust in God and you will prevail.  Take advantage of all that God has blessed you with and constantly examine your soul.  Take the steps to refresh, rejuvenate and heal it.  At the end of a long week or before one begins don’t forget to ask yourself, “How am I caring for my soul?”

How are you caring for your soul?