The emotional wellbeing of a Pastor’s Wife is a positive sense of wellbeing, which enables her to function in the society, ministry, and home and meet the demands of daily life.
Her emotional wellbeing also involves building a healthy self-esteem, self-confidence and being resilient to cope with diverse challenges of life especially ministry. If she is physically fit but soulishly (emotionally) imbalanced it will inevitably affect her spirit, her physical health and daily functioning.
The pastor’s wife does not only face challenges of ministry but also the ordinary challenges of being a woman, a wife and a mother. Her emotional health is not immune to these challenges. Emotional stress, depression, feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, paranoia, disappointments, betrayals, disillusionment, are some of the distresses suffered by the pastor’s wife which limits her walking in her God-ordained freedom. Refer to the book: Trials of a Pastor’s Wife.
Scripture says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” Prov. 4:23 (NIV). Every pastor’s wife owes it to herself to guard her heart and build her emotional wellness. Your emotional wellness is like a deep well. When the water is clean, it gives life to everyone who drinks from it, when it is polluted; it is detrimental to all and could lead to irreparable damages. You should enjoy ministry and not endure it! Luke 6:45 (NIV) says that the heart is like a storehouse: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
The key seems to be in what you choose to ‘store’ in your heart. Things happen to you in life and in ministry but you have the choice as to whether you store your emotional reaction to them and inwardly rehearse your disappointments, hurt and loss or whether you reach out to God and allow Him to heal you. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Mat. 11:28. God wants your hearts to be filled with peace and contentment: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” John 14:1; “Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts” Colo. 3:15.
With emotional wellbeing you can experience: Growth and spiritual maturity; healing from stress, anxiety, depression, grief and others; change in your patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving and boosting of self- confidence.
Article By Pastor (Dr.) Grace Sola-Oludoyi
Christian Counsellor/Integrative Psychotherapist (MBBS, BA (Hons) Theology & Integrative Counselling, MBACP, MACC)
Regional Mother, RCCG Europe Mainland Region 3
Executive Pastor, RCCG Royal Connections, London
To be concluded next month…
