Learning to balance your work with the rest of your life is no easy task, particularly for those of us who work in ministry. It can be easy to fall into the thought pattern of, “Because I’m doing the Lord’s work, I need to say yes whenever anyone needs me.” Before we continue, let me make something very clear: this is NOT true.
Over and over in Scripture, we see Jesus model for us the importance of balancing helping others with ministering to others and also taking time to rest and recharge by spending time with those closest to us. There were times Jesus was in the midst of big crowds, preaching and healing people. And, there were also times when Jesus went off alone or with a small group to spend time with His Father or to commune with His disciples. As with anything in life, we would be wise to follow Jesus's example when it comes to establishing work-life balance in our own day-to-day lives.
That being said, here are a few tips to consider if you’re having trouble establishing a healthy work-life balance.
First, Learn To Say No. Just because someone asks for your help doesn’t mean your answer has to be “yes” every single time. Sure, it’s good to be helpful and available to those who are depending on you and looking to you for guidance and assistance, but you are not a genie that has to appear every time someone figuratively rubs the lamp.
Start by giving yourself permission to say “no.” You can say it kindly, and you can offer other options for someone in need of help, but please do not feel like you have to sacrifice your own well-being to be on call for everyone else all of the time.
Secondly, Protect Your Time Off. Whether you are taking a vacation, enjoying your regularly scheduled off-days, or relaxing during your evenings after work hours, be diligent in protecting this precious time when you simply are not supposed to be working. Obviously, there are going to be emergencies and exceptions from time to time, but these situations should be rare.
To put it another way, do not be afraid to establish boundaries for your staff and church members. The hard reality is no one will ever care about your work-life balance more than you do or should. Keep in mind that if you continue to respond to emails, take phone calls, and perform tasks when you’re supposed to be resting and recharging, people will develop unhealthy expectations and expect you to perform tasks no matter the day or time.
Getting started with establishing a work-life balance can be hard...really hard, but you must build in this time for your own food health and in order maintain good relationships with your wife and children. There's no better time that right now to get started!