How to Care for Your Spiritual Life

Paul often writes to those under him to take heed to themselves. (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 4:16). He warns them of the need to care for their spiritual state and growth. Learning this as someone who is in ministry is of utmost importance because as life gets busier, the demand for your time will also grow. You have to learn to fight to care for your spiritual state.

These are a few things I’ve learned that have helped me along the way.

1. Retreat regularly

We see in Scripture that after Jesus had a busy day in ministry, He would often withdraw to a quiet, lonely place to connect to the Father in prayer (Luke 5:16). In other words, He retreated regularly, not just to get power, but to maintain a spiritual life.

Sometimes as a leader, you may find yourself craving a deeper devotional time where you just need to go somewhere remote–maybe a cabin, the mountains, a hotel room–to just shut yourself away from the world and be with God like Jesus did. 

This is NOT self-care or me-time, but rather spiritual time to reconnect yourself with Him.

2) Deal with private problems

Private problems are hurts, negative habits, and hang-ups that no one else knows about that are causing personal grief, hurt, and dissatisfaction in your walk with Christ.

A hurt is an emotional reaction to another person’s behavior or disturbing situation. For instance, you may notice yourself snapping at situations that are not reasonable. Begin to deal with this hurt first, by acknowledging it.

Deal with those areas.

Read: How to Forgive Someone

The Bible mentions that when we need to be fruitful, God will prune areas of our lives. Without pruning, we lose our “sap,” and the life of God will leak out. The sap God gives us spreads to the good branches bearing fruit, as well as the ones not bearing anything. We need to allow God to trim the unfruitful things in our lives.

Allow the Holy Spirit to bring conviction where it’s needed and act on it immediately. Don’t wait for another confirmation or another terrifying dream. Just chop the bad branch off and remove it, close that door, and disconnect yourself. You will see a greater preservation of the very life that God is depositing into you.

3) Replenish through relationships

Strategically prioritize family, friends, and people that will replenish you. Sometimes we think we don’t need people or relationships, but we actually do. Although you may not need anything materialistic from your relationships, there are parts of your soul that can be healed and touched deeply by God through those relationships. Many leaders don’t have close friends and I believe that’s partially because they don’t prioritize it. Just because someone can’t help you to advance in ministry, does not mean they are not your friend. Although you are a minister of the Gospel, you are also a human being, and you need to prioritize your God-given relationships. When you spend time with them, be intentional.

As a Christian leader, don’t wait for your spouse to complain about your marriage, be intentional!

4) Keep Yourself healthy and physically fit

God is interested in all of us: our soul, spirit, and body. Maintain a balanced diet, get regular exercise, and adequate sleep. Balance activity times with rest, relaxation, and recovery times.

Develop a sustainable pace and keep the sabbath principle. Take a day off, have regular holidays, laugh, and enjoy life. Physical health is vital to the effectiveness of the ministry and our spiritual life. Find a good exercise and diet regimen to incorporate every day to get healthy and stay fit.

The best gift you can give to those who follow you is for you to be a healthy leader.

Remember that it’s easier to love when your heart is full and healthy. Our aim isn’t just to accomplish tasks, but to bear fruit that remains and glories the Father.