8 Times When It’s Hard for a Pastor to Look Forward to Sunday—and What to Do about It

The weekend’s coming—which means our churches will gather for worship. For some pastors, though, Sunday has become more a chore than a privilege. In times like these listed below, we pastors sometimes struggle as we push toward Sunday:

1. When attendance numbers have been in decline. It’s hard not to take church decline personally. In fact, sometimes it pushes pastors in weak moments to reconsider their calling. 
2. When congregational conflict seems to be rising. No matter how hard pastors try to ignore internal issues to focus on the task at hand, it’s almost impossible to do. 
3. When the pastor has spent insufficient time in prayer and sermon preparation. Unless you’ve been there, you can’t know the power of heading to church when you just know you’ve been with the Lord in preparation for Sunday—or the anguish of knowing you’ve not been with Him.  
4. When a particular church member has been a thorn in the side. It’s frustrating when you’re trying to lead your congregation to worship while also keeping an eye out for that member whose very presence wears you out. 
5. When the ministry week has just been wearying. When all the other days of the week have been exhausting, pastors look forward to a day of rest and relaxation—but Sunday seldom provides both. The work goes on even when we’re spent. 
6. When the pastor has ongoing sin in his life. No church leader should look forward to Sunday when he is harboring unrepentant sin. If he’s genuinely a believer, the conviction of the Spirit ought to be heavy. 
7. When the pastor’s family isn’t looking forward to Sunday. We are first husbands and fathers. When our families struggle with the church for some reason, we can’t help but be less than enthusiastic about Sunday. 
8. When the pastor is seeking a new place of ministry. God may well be leading in a new direction; even then, though, it’s hard to stay focused on our current role when we’re considering the next one. 

So, what do we do in these times? If you’re a pastor not looking forward to Sunday, here are some options:

• Confess any sin in your life. Deal with it now.
• Be honest with God about your lack of enthusiasm. Don’t run from God, but to Him. 
• Particularly ask God to restore your zeal for at least this Sunday. You’ll still need to deal with stuff on Monday, but ask God to give you supernatural focus this weekend. 
• Thank God for the privilege of serving Him, even when it’s not easy. None of us is worthy of this calling.
• At least three times daily today and tomorrow, prayerfully seek God’s blessing on your family and your church. Something just changes when we spend time on our knees. 
• This Sunday, preach the Word. That will make a difference in your life and in your congregation. 
• Trust God. You know this, but all of us sometimes forget it: God never lets His people down.