I am fed up.

According to John Palmer of Emerge Ministries, we’re now losing 2000 pastors every month in the U.S. The main drivers are burnout, contention in the church, or moral failure. The rate of depression among ministers and their spouses is 4.5x higher than that of the general population. More than 50% of seminary grads who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within 5 years. These numbers are unacceptable. Jimmy Dodd writes: “An overwhelming majority will leave the pastoral ministry within the first five years, feeling as if they had their head handed to them in a sling.”

And yet the beat keeps going on. Overscheduling, overcommitting, and rest-deprivation among pastors continues to be tolerated and in many circles celebrated. I am fed up. And I want you to be fed up too.

I’ve heard almost every excuse in the book regarding why pastors ignore the need for regular rest, refreshing and recharging: Here are 6 of the most common reasons pastors give for disregarding the clear command of Scripture to rest:

I love what I do

If you love what you do, you’re at more risk than most for ignoring your need of regular rest. When you do what you love, you feel energized, exhilarated, and fulfilled. You can work for long stretches without feeling tired. The danger is these positive outcomes mask our need to refuel. And by the way: good outcomes don’t exempt us from practicing Sabbath.

I can’t get everything done

Ever considered the possibility that one reason you’re having trouble getting things done is you’re tired? Research attempting to quantify the relationship between hours worked and productivity found that employee output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week, and falls off a cliff after 55 hours—so much so that someone who puts in 70 hours produces nothing more with those extra 15 hours, according to a study published in 2014 by John Pencavel of Stanford University. Here’s the truth if you’re a pastor: you’re in the relationship business, and relationships are never done. There will always be more work to do. Accept the truth and get some rest!

I can’t stand sitting still

This excuse should frighten you. It may indicate you’re an addict. An adrenaline addict. Adrenaline affects your brain much like crack does. You get hooked on the rush of busyness, and rest makes you uncomfortable. But being uncomfortable is never an excuse for disobeying God. He commands us in Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”

I don’t have enough people helping

That may be true, but take a step back and analyze the situation for a minute. Is it possible your pace has gotten in the way of people development? How many leaders don’t have enough help because they’ve bought into the myth that “if I want it done right, I have to do it myself?”  If you’re a pastor, one of your top priorities—according to Ephesians 4—is equipping people to serve. The healthiest leaders have learned to share the ministry load with others.

I’m afraid things will fall apart

Pastoring is a faith venture. It requires faith to believe you can get more done in six days than in seven. You need faith to believe God is minding the store while you take a day off. That He is still working even while you rest. (It’s His church after all). You can’t pastor effectively without faith. Regular rest is an act of faith.

Being a busy pastor was modeled to me

If running 100 mph with your hair on fire is the model you cut your leadership teeth on, it’s time to trade in that clunker for a biblical model. The principle of rest is pervasive throughout Scripture. Jesus rested and admonished His disciples to do the same. No other way around it.

Pastors… enough excuses. Enough explaining away why you consistently ignore Sabbath. Enough workaholism. It’s time to learn the priority of rest, to cease striving, to appreciate the power of stillness and quiet reflection. To put the car in park, turn off the engine, and close the garage door (thanks for this last line @pdbarringer)

I wrote this blog out of frustration. Now that I’ve calmed down… I still agree with everything I wrote.

It’s time to get fed up.