Holy Wednesday - A Worship Leader Mental Health Check

Hello friend. It’s Wednesday. It’s Holy Week. You probably have a big rehearsal tonight. 

Maybe like me, you have 5 different worship services you’re going to lead over the course of 3 days. 

I have a question for you. How’s your heart? 

Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you being nice to your spouse and/or friends and family?

Did you get in the Word today? Pray? Take a moment of silent medidation?

Here’s the truth. This is one of the biggest weeks of the year for worship leaders. It’s easy to get stressed and distracted. And then it’s easy to beat ourselves up for getting stressed. Easter Sunday is a celebration! We should be happy. Why are we worried?

My ecnouragement to you is this: It’s okay to not be okay. In fact, I have a confesison to make. When I went to sleep on Saturday night I felt an overwhelming since of dread for what was about to come. I knew when I woke up on Palm Sunday that it would be non-stop work for the next 8 days straight. 

And then after service on Sunday I locked myself out of my car and the church. I was stuck for the next several hours until choir practice. And in that silence I asked myself

“How’s your heart?”

The answer was…Tired. I began to walk around the city of Madeira Beach for the first time since September when the hurricanes hit. I mourn the loss of what was. My life changed overnight and I haven’t had many moments to sit with that. My soul is weary, downcast. I wept. But that doesn’t make me a bad Christian. That doesn’t disqualify me from leading worship. 

If anything Holy Week is the perfect time to remember not only Christ’s triumph over death, but also his suffering. Jesus wept. Jesus grew tired. Jesus felt pain. And when we experience these things we have an opporutunity to identify with Christ even more closely. In fact it is by dying with Him that we get to join in His resurrection. 

Friend, it’s not a sin to be sad. The only thing you aren’t allowed to do is a Christian is despair. There is always hope in Christ and that can be true even in the midst of our sorrows.

It's okay to not be okay. God can still use you to lead others into His presence. Where you are weak His grace is sufficient. 

He is risen indeed!