In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his apostolic ministry by describing the suffering he experienced because of his work in the gospel: stoning, shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments, and more. But then Paul concludes his catalog with one last hardship:
“And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” (2 Cor 11:28)
What we learn from the apostle Paul is that pastoral anxiety is a normal part of the Christian ministry.
In his classic volume, Lectures to My Students, Spurgeon once gave a lecture to his students on this topic of pastoral discouragement (he called it the minister’s fainting fits). As you know, Spurgeon had a remarkable ministry. Thousands were converted under his preaching, his sermons were being sold by the thousands, and church ministries were growing. It would be easy to think that Spurgeon was constantly encouraged and joyful in the ministry.
But when you look more closely, when you read his letters, and listen to his sermons, you realize that Spurgeon was often deeply discouraged. He bore a “daily pressure of anxiety” for all his church members, the orphanage, the college, and everything else. As a result, he often fell into a “melancholy,” what some today might even call depression.
But as Spurgeon battled through these times, he understood that these “fainting fits” were all part of pastoral ministry. They were not something unusual, but rather they were to be expected. And as he read church history, he saw that many pastors had also experienced something similar. From Martin Luther to John Calvin, from David Brainerd to Adoniram Judson, and to many others today, many of God’s servants have had to walk through dark valleys. But there in that darkness, they encountered God’s faithfulness.
Pastoral discouragement is part of God’s sanctifying work in pastors.
Let me give you four reasons from Spurgeon why pastors should expect to encounter pastoral discouragement:
Pastoral discouragement is to be expected because we are human
Is it not first that they are men? Being men, they are compassed with infirmity, and heirs of sorrow. Even under the economy of redemption it is most clear that we are to endure infirmities, otherwise there were no need of the promised Spirit to help us in them. It is of need be that we are sometimes in heaviness.
Sometimes as pastors who handle the things of God, we can forget that we are still mere men. We have the privilege of preaching, advising, counseling, leading and sometimes we can begin to feel that we are above our our people. But these times of discouragement will come to humble us, to remind us that we are mere men, who live in a fallen world.
Part of being human means living in these fallen bodies. So often our lowness, or depression, can come as a result of health challenges. He writes,
Most of us are in some way or other unsound physically. Here and there we meet with an old man who could not remember that ever he was laid aside for a day; but the great mass of us labor under some form or other of infirmity.
Spurgeon was frequently sick, due to issues that he had with his kidneys. Later in life, he would develop gout, which was deeply painful and afflicted his feet and his joints. These illnesses were deeply painful and Spurgeon would be sick for weeks at a time, because of overwork. Often the physical illness would lead to deep discouragement.
But Spurgeon also had a category for mental illness.
As to mental maladies, is any man altogether sane? Are we not all a little off the balance? Some minds appear to have a gloomy tinge essential to their very individuality;
Some people are more prone to depression and discouragement than others. Spurgeon was naturally very optimistic, but once when he was 22, he was preaching to a large crowd of 10,000, and some troublemakers yelled “Fire”, leading to a stampede. Seven people died in the crush and many more were injured. Spurgeon was never the same after that event. He would be traumatized by it and would sometimes sink into depression.
And yet, Spurgeon believed that the Lord can use even these kind of weaknesses to make us better pastors.
These infirmities may be no detriment to a man’s career of special usefulness; they may even have been imposed upon him by divine wisdom as necessary qualifications for his peculiar course of service.
So pastor, your ailments do not inherently disqualify you. Rather, they highlight God’s grace as you persevere. Spurgeon’s people would watch as their pastor persevered and preached through pain, and that helped them persevere also. Many pastors have battled serious discouragement, and yet the Lord has used that struggle to make them into skillful and tender counselors.
Good men are promised tribulation in this world, and ministers may expect a larger share than others, that they may learn sympathy with the Lord’s suffering people, and so may be fitting shepherds of an ailing flock.
God could have sent angels to be pastors. But angels are unable to suffer like us. They would never understand our pain. Instead, He sent frail humans like us. Why? Because our frailty makes us ready to have compassion on those who are also suffering. Pastoral discouragement helps us to identify with our people.
Pastoral discouragement is to be expected because of the weighty nature of our work
If pastoral ministry was simply reading books, preaching sermons, and going to meetings, then there would be no reason to be discouraged. But when we consider the weighty calling of shepherding souls, of leading God’s people, of preaching to the lost, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the task.
Who can bear the weight of souls without sometimes sinking to the dust? Passionate longings after men’s conversion consume the soul with anxiety and disappointment. To see the hopeful turn aside, the godly grow cold, professors abusing their privileges, and sinners waxing more bold in sin — are not these sights enough to crush us to the earth?
As a pastor, dealing with sin is discouraging. You preach and you counsel, but unless the Spirit brings repentance, you are helpless. So you pray and you teach and you wait for God to move. This is a burden, a daily pressure of anxiety for our people.
The more earnest you are about your work as a pastor, the more liable you are to be discouraged as you see how feeble and fruitless our efforts can be. Not only that, but pastoral ministry always feels endless. Until we bury them, the work of shepherding people to the Celestial City will always be ongoing, and we will be anxious for our people’s souls.
Ours is more than mental work — it is heart work, the labor of our inmost soul. How often, on Lord’s-day evenings, do we feel as if life were completely washed out of us! After pouring out our souls over our congregations, we feel like empty earthen pitchers which a child might break.
Pastoral ministry is different from than being an engineer or an accountant. In those kinds of vocations, you can compartmentalize your life from your work. But in pastoral ministry, we have to engage our hearts, our minds, our bodies in the work. We have to be present with our people and love them and give of ourselves to them. And so, pastoral ministry can be draining. The ongoing toll of this will wear anyone out.
Pastoral discouragement is to be expected because leadership can be lonely.
A minister fully equipped for his work, will usually be a spirit by himself, above, beyond, and apart from others. The most loving of his people cannot enter into his peculiar thoughts, cares, and temptations. Men of God who rise above their fellows into nearer communion with heavenly things, in their weaker moments feel the lack of human sympathy.
As those who have been set apart by the congregation to prayer and the ministry of the Word, pastors can find themselves quite alone in their interests and their spiritual maturity. You want to cultivate these qualities in your people, but it takes time, and sometimes it’s hard to be patient. Additionally, as those who have authority, sometimes your people will treat you differently. People feel like they can’t act normally around you. As much as you try to be relate with them, they will always still view you as their pastor.
So, make sure you build fellowship with other like-minded pastors. This is why this pastoral fellowship is so important.
This loneliness, which if I mistake not is felt by many of my brethren, is a fertile source of depression; and our ministers’ fraternal meeting, and the cultivation of holy intercourse with kindred minds will with God’s blessing, help us greatly to escape the snare.
Spurgeon was always very intentional about spending time with other pastors. His day off was on Wednesday and he would often spend the day with another pastor. He was part of several pastoral fellowships around London. This was not just because he was an extrovert. This was about persevering in the ministry through pastoral friendships.
Pastoral depression is to be expected given the inactive nature of our work
It’s a privilege to study, to read, to write, to meet with people. But the lack of physical activity can also be a challenge. Spurgeon, who was probably overweight for most of his life, can attest to this.
There can be little doubt that sedentary habits have a tendency to create despondency in some constitutions. To sit long in one posture, poring over a book, or driving a quill, is in itself a taxing of nature; but add to this a badly-ventilated chamber, a body which has long been without muscular exercise, and a heart burdened with many cares, and we have all the elements for preparing a seething cauldron of despair, especially in the dim months of fog.
I’ve known pastors who have poured themselves into their work, studying, counseling, preaching, and they have neglected their bodies. And in the end, they end up with ulcers, back pain, and all kinds of other problems. As those who are spiritually minded it’s easy to think that our bodies are unimportant and we can simply work our bodies to the ground. Spurgeon probably had that attitude for most of his younger years. Sadly, he died at 57. I wonder what the Lord might have done if he had lived to be 70!
As Paul says to Timothy, physical training is also of some value. If you want to prolong our ministry, Spurgeon would encourage you, look for opportunities to be active, especially out in nature.
A day’s breathing of fresh air upon the hills, or a few hours’ ramble in the beech woods’ umbrageous calm, would sweep the cobwebs out of the brain of scores of our toiling ministers who are now but half alive. A mouthful of sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind’s face, would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best.
Especially as those who spend much of our time in front of a computer screen and in books, this is a good reminder to get out in nature: go for a hike, plant a garden, take evening walks. I’ve found these sorts of tasks not only to keep me active, but they are some of the best times I’ve had for spiritual meditation.
Conclusion
Brothers, don’t be surprised at pastoral discouragement. Know that it is part of the burden that you carry as pastors. When you experience discouragement, by faith, believe that God will accomplish good by it, in you and in your people. Turn to God, believing His promises, receiving His comfort, and then minister out of the comfort you’ve received.
The lesson of wisdom is, be not dismayed by soul-trouble. Count it no strange thing, but a part of ordinary ministerial experience. Should the power of depression be more than ordinary, think not that all is over with your usefulness. Cast not away your confidence, for it hath great reward.