As important as physical care is to maintain a pastor’s health, caring for one’s emotions is even more important. Our emotions are powerful forces that affect both our physical health and our personal stability. Emotions are very mecurial. At one moment you can feel on top of the world and the next moment you find youself in the pits. There is a reason why John Calvin spoke of the psalms as an anatomy of the human soul. They guide us in how to pray through every condition of our soul from high to low.
Consider what actions you take to maintain healthy emotions. Sometime during my ministerial career, I became aware of a spirit of negativity beginning to dominate my spirit. I’m not sure who pointed out to me the power of thankfulness but I began to practice the habit of noticing the things for which I was thankful. It sounds so simple but it had the effect of lifting my spirits.
Another practice I began to engage in was trying to name the feelings that were engaging me. The psychologist Rollo May once pointed out that the daimon in Greek referred to the natural urges in our lives. When one of those daimons began to dominate our actions, we speak of it being demonic. A simple example is when a person says, “I was just so angry I couldn’t help myself.” When I could name to myself that I was feeling angry, it didn’t go away but I had much more control over it.
There are many ways that we can care for our emotional health. It can be as simple as making sure that you interrupt the intensity of your work with occasional experiences of fun. That is why a hobby can be so important. For some people keeping a journal can be a way of caring for their emotional life. Exercise can not only care for the body but the emotions as well.
Taking time to engage in the pleasure of relationships can also help our emotional state. God’s statement in Genesis 2:18 that it is not good for a man to be alone speaks to a major truth that transcends though certainly includes the issue of sexuality. Later we will focus on what we do to maintain healthy family relationships but good relationships are critical for our emotional health.
What are the ways that you are intentional in maintaining your emotional health? Share some ideas with me.
