From the author of Leadership From the Inside Out: Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader (Zondervan):
1. Take a Sabbath every week.
When God created the universe he rested after seven days to show us a healthy rhythm of life. When we refuse to rest, we are declaring, “I am stronger than God.” Learn to disconnect, pull away, turn off your technology and simply rest in the presence and grace of Jesus. I have learned that I accomplish far more in six days of labor than in seven.
2. Technology fasting feeds the soul.
I need to unplug occasionally, and it always feeds my soul. A few hours or even a full day of no computer monitors, texts, tweets, phone calls or ear buds is a surprising gift. When I unplug, my brain seems to shift to a different gear. Also, when I do this, I allow myself to be out of touch and unavailable for a short time, and this helps me remember that God is entirely capable of running the universe and his church without me. This feeds my soul.
3. Lingering in a portion of Scripture.
As I write these words I am drawing near the end of a couple of weeks lingering in the little postcard of a book in the Bible called Jude. It is only one chapter long. But reading this book, or listening to it, day by day has allowed God to speak deeply to me. Going through the messages of this simple and convicting book over and over again has allowed the Holy Spirit to drive some messages and themes into the hard soil of my heart that would simply not have impacted me with a single quick and cursory reading.
4. Passionate play.
In the flow of my week helps me stay spiritually healthy. As followers of Jesus, play and laughter are essential for soul care. When I find myself getting too serious, I make a point of being around fun and funny people who love Jesus.