Paul Tripp made a compelling case for the prevalence of depression in the pastoral culture. In continuing the conversation, my focus will be on answering the questions, “What is depression? What are the unique challenges common to pastors that might contribute to depression being an “occupational liability”?”
A Common Scenario
Pastor Bill and his wife, Lisa, had a growing church and a good
marriage, but something was wrong. For more than six months Bill felt
tired much of the time. He found himself snapping at his kids and
growing more distant from his loving wife. His sermon preparation was
arduous. He had lost the passion in the pulpit he once had. He was
beginning to dread Sundays, because he had to face his flock and deliver
a message. He stopped doing the things he loved—riding his bike with a
friend and even playing golf. He was eating more and exercising less.
Bill had lost his first wife years before, but had handled the loss
amazingly well. He continued to preach and serve others with only a
short period of grieving. Two years later he remarried a godly woman who
had been friends with his wife. Other than his recent struggle with
“motivation,” Bill and his new wife and family were doing great. Now his
wife and the elders were concerned with what appeared to be burnout.
Was he having some type of mid-life crisis, was he in a spiritual slump,
or did he have a physical issue going on that was sapping his energy?
Bill couldn’t figure it out. He was spiritually dry, could not
concentrate in prayer, and woke up many nights with anxiety. He came to
counseling wondering what was going on and just wanted life to go back
to normal. Keep Reading...
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