Pastors are under a lot of stress this time of year. The added services, plus the stress of helping people with job loss, plus taxes, plus anything else that is going on within the congregation, all of these add up to a very difficult picture sometimes.

What do you do to relieve stress? Do you have a release valve somehow? Do you internalize it? Exercise? Play? Talk? Find some other distraction?

One of the things I have been trying of late is praying. Yes, I know, this isn’t that complicated. But verbalizing the things I am stressed about to our Lord in prayer is tremendously helpful. I am not alone with my problems. God is with me, promises to hear and to answer my prayers.

But I still get stressed.

So what do you do?

-DMR