When Jesus says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30), he didn’t say the mind is the most important part of a person. Nor the body, nor the soul. Each aspect plays an essential role in making us human.
With burnout on the rise among church leaders, it’s important to care for each part while appreciating the fact they influence and interact with one another. Here are three experts’ thoughts on ways to nurture the mind, body and soul in order for the whole person to thrive.
The Mind: A Pathway Toward Resilience
By Mark Mayfield
Is the ministry you feel called to starting to burn you out? If so, you aren’t alone. Barna research stated that in late 2023, 33% of pastors considered quitting full-time ministry. Other research showed that 26% of pastors polled often feel depressed. And in 2024, Barna reported that nearly 1 in 5 Protestant senior pastors in the U.S. (18%) say they have contemplated self-harm or suicide within the past year.
If I stopped here, this would be a fairly depressing article, but I believe there is and can be hope in this conversation. We need to understand that wholeness isn’t found by attending a retreat, listening to a podcast, or marking off a checklist. The pathway to mental wellness begins with four intentional steps.
1. Develop the right understanding of self in relation to God and others.
We all know the Greatest Commandment text out of Matthew 22:37–40: “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and Prophets.”
I often fail to remember that Scripture wasn’t written with Western Christian thought processes in mind. It was written with a Middle Eastern/Asian framework. What does this mean?
First, this list isn’t linear. Love God? Got it. Love others? Check. Love self? Um, if I get around to it.
Second, it is a reciprocal cycle that relies on the health of each component for stability. Therefore, a better understanding of the verse would be: Healthy Relationship with God + Healthy Relationship with Others + Healthy Relationship with Self = A Wholistic Love of God.
Before you argue that a love of self is selfish, notice I said a “healthy” relationship with self, which selfishness categorically is not.
2. Avoid isolation.
Loneliness is one of the most dangerous traps in ministry. It can be easy to lead others while neglecting your own need for connection, but pastors aren’t designed to be emotional islands.
One solution to this problem is to have at least five safe people speaking into your life. They don’t have to be in your church, or even in ministry. What matters is that they are safe. They need to be people who respect your confidentiality. They shouldn’t be afraid of your emotions, questions or doubts. They will tell you the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. They need to love you, not just your role, and want to help you return to hope, not just offer pity.
