When Ministry Is Too Much to Bear

The posts in this series for pastors have so far been intended to encourage and give hope to pastors who are in difficult circumstances. But perhaps there are some who feel so absolutely overwhelmed and maybe even defeated by circumstances that those posts have merely added to their burden.

I have personally been through a severe breaking experience that lasted seven years (I was stubborn!). At times I felt despair and was angry at God. But God was faithful and saw me through it. That might sound like a platitude. Perhaps you are thinking, That’s easy for you to say. You came out of it fine. If only you knew my pain and hopelessness!

I thought the same when I was in the midst of it. When I heard testimonies about recovery from breaking experiences, I thought, Sure, God did something good for you, but will he rescue me?

If you are in a breaking experience right now, please know that God can use the experience to change your life and your ministry for the better forever. When we are most desperate, most broken, at the end of our rope, then we are ready to receive any kind of help that God gives us. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes we have to hit bottom before we are willing to make necessary changes. While God is ready to help you at any moment, maybe it has taken until now for you to be ready to act on his help.

In this post from July 28, 2014, I review how God uses breaking experiences for our good. Since I emerged from my breaking experience fully submitted to God and ready to serve in ministry, I have never looked back.