Pastor, you’ve almost made it. You’re tired. Now what?

Well done. You’ve made it.
Or at least, you’ve almost made it.

If you’re anything like most pastors I know, you’re limping toward the finish line of the year, faithful, spent, and more tired than you expected to be. I know that feeling well. That moment when you finally stop moving and your body, mind, and soul all decide to shut down at once.

Years ago, we had to change our habits and take a short break in November. Otherwise, the first few days of our Christmas holiday were spent sick, our systems crashing the moment the pressure lifted. It helped. But honestly, it also felt a bit like fixing a leak with sellotape.

Which raises the real question most pastors are quietly asking right now:

Is this just end-of-year tired… or is something else going on?

Am I doing something wrong?
Or am I doing something right, just too much of it?

A moment worth noticing

Maybe your services are finished for the year.
Maybe you’re still staring down Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Hopefully, you’ve got some kind of break coming.

Whatever your situation, I don’t want you to miss this moment.

This season, right here, when the tiredness is still fresh, can be a powerful opportunity. Not just to recover, but to reflect. To review. To meet with God honestly. Done well, it can set up the coming year to be more sustainable, more grounded, and yes, more enjoyable.

So let’s talk about being tired.
Then let’s talk about reflecting.
And finally, let’s lift our eyes toward 2026 and beyond.

So… you’re tired

Before you ring the alarm bells, let me say this clearly: being tired at this time of year is normal.

If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s been a long haul since last summer.
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s been a sprint since August, packed with big moments and heavy demands.

Pastoring costs energy, physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. I don’t know many pastors who aren’t ready for a break right now. Being tired doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong.

Ask yourself: What has your year been full of?

Taking ground? Growing? Opening a building? Leading change?
That takes energy.

Has it also included staff challenges, hard conversations, unresolved tensions, or unexpected crises?
That’s taxing in a different way.

Pastoring is complex. It’s demanding. And it is normal to feel tired at the end of a full season.

But tiredness can also be telling you something

Here’s the more uncomfortable truth: sometimes tiredness isn’t just a signal to rest, it’s an invitation to review.

Some honest questions worth sitting with:

• Have you been burning fuel faster than you’ve been putting it back in the tank?

• Are you living without the margin the pastoral vocation actually requires?

• Has your calendar quietly drifted from your intentions?

• Have boundaries slipped, while everything still looks “successful” on paper?

• Are you stuck in an adrenaline cycle, one more coffee, one more push, unable to properly switch off?

• If you’re really honest, are you still living true to your deepest values?

• Are you becoming the son or daughter of God you desire to be?

• The spouse, parent, friend you once envisioned?

For many pastors, tiredness is a mixture of both:
good tiredness from a job well done, and warning-sign tiredness from a way of being that’s no longer serving you well.

That’s why now, before you numb it, rush past it, or power through, is a great time to reflect. Even half a day, if you can make it work, can be profoundly clarifying.

A word from the scar tissue

I’ve been through burnout. It almost took me out of ministry altogether. It was one of the hardest things my family and I have ever walked through.

So when I talk about sustainability, I’m not just talking about avoiding burnout. I’m talking about thriving in ministry. Enjoying it. Loving the church without losing yourself.

Call it having your cake and eating it too.

As you reflect on the year that’s been, here are a few guiding principles to hold as you look backward in order to move forward.

Principles for looking forward well

Am I scheduling who I want to become, not just what I want to get done?

A vision of your future self should shape your calendar before anything else. Being a child of God, a spouse, a parent, a friend, these aren’t abstract values. They require time. Real time. What would it look like if your calendar reflected who you are becoming, not just what you are producing?

Am I making time for a hobby or interest?

Having something you’re genuinely into beyond pastoring is a game changer. Church can consume everything if you let it, but there is more to life than church. A hobby isn’t indulgent. It’s human. And making intentional time for it is often where joy quietly returns.

How am I increasing joy?

Sometimes we can’t control the amount of stress in our lives. But we can influence the amount of joy.

Joy doesn’t have to be dramatic. It might be a great meal with your family. A walk in the woods. Fishing. Reading. Laughing. These moments don’t remove pressure, but they do strengthen your capacity to carry it.

Am I creating space for the kind of work only I can do?

It’s hard to be a pastor and be in the office all the time.

Pastoring requires enough distance from the noise to be poised within it. Yes, you need to be present with your team and provide leadership. But you also need space to be present to God, to pray, to study Scripture, to read widely, to let sermons form slowly and deeply.

The kind of preaching that cuts through, carries an anointing, and genuinely feeds the sheep is hard to produce in a constant stream of interruptions. That work needs space. And space needs to be protected.

Am I remembering this is a marathon, not a sprint?

Pace matters.

I love innovation. New ideas energise me. But lasting impact usually comes from finishing the last idea well, not chasing the next one too quickly.

Less is often more. Moving from reactive, ADHD-style church life toward disciplined thought and disciplined action is a gift, to you and to your people. Make a plan. Commit to it. Stick with it. Finish it.

Do I have the right people in my corner?

Nobody wins alone.

I’m not talking about your staff team here, I’m talking about the people on Team You.

Maybe it’s a pastoral supervisor who helps you stay attentive to God in the work.
Maybe it’s a Christian psychologist helping you grow in awareness and heal old patterns.
Maybe it’s a coach.
Maybe it’s getting more united with your spouse, learning to be a foil for one another.

Walking with the right people, people who help you stay true to a healthy way of leading, is a game changer.

Questions for reflection

• What am I grateful for this past year?

• Where did I win?

• What am I proud of?

• Where did I struggle?

• What brought me the most joy?

• Which relationships have been most meaningful?

• What did I learn about myself?

• What needs to change?

• Who do I want to become this year?

• What practices or habits do I need to cultivate for that to happen?

• What am I leaving behind?

• What am I embracing?

• What is the word over my year ahead?

You’ve almost made it.
You are doing good work. I’m cheering you on.

Thank you for your service.