3 Ways Preachers Can Overcome The Monday Blues

Image Credit: Khara Woods

Let’s face it, almost everyone has a hard time on Mondays.

Whether you are a CEO or a stay-at-home mom you’ve most likely had a busy weekend and may dread rolling into a busy week.

There is undoubtedly all kinds of research done as to why people are more likely to have heart attacks on Monday than other days of the week.  

Bilbo, from The Lord of the Rings described how many of us can feel on a Monday morning, “ too little butter spread over too much bread.”

In some ways, Monday Blues are a universal struggle and yet in other ways they are quite unique.

Let me speak directly to the preachers and ministers in this post.

I am a firm believer that every follower of Christ has a valid and vital ministry. Yet, if you are not a pastor or in full-time vocational ministry, use this post as encouragement to pray for your pastor or thank them in October during pastor appreciation month.   

Stories of pastors struggling with mental health, suicidal thoughts and more have sent shockwaves of grief, loss and sobriety of thinking through the Body of Christ in recent months.

God is clearly highlighting the need to talk about mental health and soul care in His family and beyond.

This post is in no way prescriptive or a one-size-fits-all solution.

Mental health struggles are very real and rarely simple.

People understand physical pain easier than mental anguish.

If someone has a broken arm and we can see the cast, we understand there is pain and limitation present. However, often we don’t know what to do with someone who feels like they are drowning in an undefined and ominous sea of mental health struggles.

I have never personally been in that exact place but I have walked alongside some of my closest friends and family members wrestling through those very issues.

I would never judge a person for taking medicine to help level off their highs and lows any more than I would criticize a diabetic for taking their insulin to help regulate sugar levels in their body.

But here are a few practical thoughts that can help any leader dealing with the Monday Blues.

At my home church Freedom Church we recently launched 23 new communicators on a weekend we called the NINES.  

We gave these up-and-coming preachers and members of our Dream Team nine minutes to preach a message.

And they KILLED IT!!! We were more than proud of them-we were impacted by them.

Each of them were brought through a series of training exercises we call our Communication Masterclass.

I originally prepared these thoughts for that group.

I knew many of could get blind-sided by the “low” they would most likely feel on Monday after feeling the “high” of preaching on Sunday.  

Then I realized these could be helpful for my other preacher friends out there who are fighting the good fight, week in and week out.

Here’s a life principle worth writing down and contemplating in your own context.   

There’s always a battle you fight after the battle you win. 

I wish this wasn't the case, but it is.

Here are three things to look out for as you process what happened this weekend. 

1. Adrenaline (PHYSCIAL) 

Let’s get real practical for a minute.

Research tells us that one hour of standing on your feet preaching and ministering is the equivalent of an eight hour day of manual labor. If you do multiple services, well you do the math. That’s a whole lot of stress on your body.

Mondays are tough for preachers because their body experiences a huge decrease from the "adrenaline dump" that takes place in their body over the weekend.

Of course we rely on the anointing, but our body also responds to ministry environments with adrenaline.

Speaking in front of people, meeting first-time guests, fielding questions on-the-fly, all contribute to a rush of adrenaline in our system.

Today, you most likely feel that dip.

Sometimes it's subtle, sometimes it’s dramatic.

One wise preacher and leader taught me, "Never trust your thoughts on a Monday."

Go easy on yourself today.

You went through a lot this past weekend. Your body needs some rest and margin. 

2. Attack (SPIRITUAL)

After a major spiritual victory like "the NINES" our a Vision Sunday or baptizing new believers, the adversary would love to attack you in some way.

He’s not going to come when you feel strong. He looks for an opportune time to mess with you when you are feeling weak.

Many people only prepare for the battle on the front end instead of the back end as well.

Stay sober in your thinking and close to Jesus.

Our enemy is a defeated foe, but when we are fatigued he sometimes appears larger than life.

“Tired eyes rarely see a good future.” -Mike Murdock

“Fatigue will make cowards of us all.” -Vince Lombardi  

3. Assessment (PERSONAL)

Of the three things you will face on a Monday, this is probably the most formidable.

Sundays are not a preaching competition where you are scored and measured against your brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.

Don’t fall into the trap of comparing how you feel on a Monday with the best Instagram video or highlight reel of some of the top communicators in America.

We’ve all done it!

That said, it is natural to personally reflect and gauge on how you think you did.

Some of that is productive, much of it is not.

The truth is that we don't see ourselves very clearly in our personal assessments. Leave that kind of scrutiny up to the Holy Spirit.

Friend, be kind to yourself today in your "self talk". The Bible reminds us not to measure ourselves, by ourselves.

More was happening in and through you than you could possibly measure or fathom.

Focus on that.

Celebrate that.

Thank God for the fruit you see and the fruit you don’t see, instead of dwelling on your version of what did or did not happen.

And if you are struggling, please don’t try to navigate your inner world without some help.

Your spouse is graced to be the greatest sounding board in your life, but it’s also not fair to ask them to be a “lightning rod” for every struggle you are facing.

David, with all of his emotional ups and downs, knew that he couldn’t trust his own thoughts. Many times we need God to search us and show us and sometimes we also need professional help to be included in that process.

Since we are in this for the long haul, that means you and I will have to weather many more Mondays.

Take good care of yourself.

“There is a battle you fight after the battle you win.”

And we need you in this fight.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION. LEAVE A COMMENT.

• What are some things you do a Monday to not just recover but replenish your energy?

• Which of the three obstacles I mentioned do you find the most difficult to face?