When I ask pastors about their day off, I’m often greeted with a blank stare followed by uncomfortable mumbling.

Some report they haven’t taken a day off in years. And even worse, a few of them are proud of it. They wear their busyness as a badge of honor. Many contributors to pastoral burnout and depression exist. Regularly skipping a day off is usually a major culprit.

The American pastor has been influenced by American culture in the arena of pace. Lifeway Research conducted a survey in 2013 revealing that 50% of pastors work between 50-70 hours per week. Now 50-70-hour weeks happen occasionally in the ministry. Sometimes a pastor’s week simply blows up with unexpected issues. But if every week is 50-70 hours, you’re shortening your leadership shelf-life. And I’m guessing your spouse and children aren’t too thrilled about your workaholism either.

After completing the work of creation, God rested on the 7th day. He didn’t rest due to exhaustion. It’s my belief He rested to set an example. I suspect He knew how ambitious we humans would be, so He modeled a weekly reset button. A day off.

He looked at everything He created and ceased His work, and perhaps He said: “Wow, that was good work!” A weekly day off gives us a chance to reflect on the work accomplished during the past week and say: “That was well-done.”

For most people, Sunday is the day they downshift, relax, and rest. Not so for pastors. They have to find another day to hit the reset button. And find it they must. Here’s three reasons why:

Perspective

It’s a short leap from workaholism to arrogance. Pushing the reset button reminds us on a weekly basis that the ministry is God’s, not ours. That success is a joint venture with Him, not of our own doing. When we consistently ignore His command to rest weekly, it’s easy to to start taking credit for our results. To let success go to our head. The apostle Paul offers a healthier perspective: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

Following God’s command to participate in Sabbath rest each week helps us gain an accurate perspective of our work. It protects us from getting full of ourselves. It keeps us from getting too high emotionally after a good week or too low after a challenging one. It reminds us on weekly basis that there is more to life than our ministry.

Permanence

Too many pastors leave vocational ministry prematurely. Some estimates tell us that approximately 1500-1700 pastors in the U.S. wave the white flag every month. Many leave due to burnout and depression. It’s ironic, isn’t it, that the same leaders who teach their people to tithe, and rightly declare that God can make 90% of our income go farther than the 100%, struggle with taking a day off each week. In a sense, taking a day off weekly could be compared to tithing. Not only can God get more done through us when we hit the reset button each week, we’ll be able to produce at a higher level for a longer time.

Face it my pastor friend: God hasn’t called you to a sprint, He’s called you to a marathon. The weekly reset button can help you finish your race well.

Priorities

The weekly reset button gets us back in touch with what truly matters. It reminds us that our spouse and children are more important than our ministry. The people who live under your roof are the most important disciples in your life. If things are good in the ministry and bad at home, then things are not good. In fact, it’s hard to win at work over the long haul if you’re losing at home.

You can lose your ministry and still have a great life. But if you lose your marriage, it will be much harder to have a great life. And you’ll likely lose your ministry, at least for a season.

The reset button reacquaints us with life outside of our ministry, which is something every pastor should experience. If your entire life is wrapped up in work, you’re a runaway train that eventually will crash. And I don’t want you to crash. I want you to thrive. The healthy rhythm of a weekly day off will increase the chances of you flourishing long-term.

If you want to lead better . . . longer . . . and enjoy it more . . . hit the weekly reset button. If you feel like your schedule is out of control and you don’t know where to start, Converge Coaching is here to help. Our mentors serve as guides who come alongside you and help you run your race. Check out our one-on-one mentoring services here.

Here’s to a weekly day off!

I’m rooting and praying for you!