2 years ago I heard a Bill Hybels talk about how he started going to see a counselor and it really helped him.
I thought: “Man, I need to do that… that would probably help me… “
But I didn’t do anything about it.
It felt too weird and kind of unnecessary. I don’t look at porn, beat my wife, or snort cocaine. Surely I don’t really need counseling.

Then around the first part of this year, I heard another Hybels sermon where he talked about going to counseling.
And this time it didn’t just seem like a good idea, it felt like a command from God.
So I called a counselor, told him I wasn’t on the brink of divorce court or even mildly depressed, but I just wanted to start coming weekly and processing the issues of my life with a professional. I asked him if that was weird. He said it wasn’t weird, but that it was, from his perspective, very smart.
“Of course you think I should come see you, at $80 an hour… “ I thought.
But he seemed nice, sincere, and insightful, so I set an appointment.

And I thought about asking him if I could sneak in through the back door.
I mean, what if one of my church members sees me going in? What would they think? What kind of suspicions and speculations could that create?
“I saw Pastor Furtick going into the therapist’s office… I told you he was crazy.”

Then I made a profound decision:
Screw it.
Screw what someone might think about it.
It turns out, what I thought they’d think about it and what they really thought about it couldn’t have been more opposite.
Right after my first appointment, I told my staff that I had decided to go to a counselor so that I could be as emotionally and spiritually healthy as possible as a husband, father, leader, and man of God.
You know what? It made them more confident in my spiritual authority and stability, not less confident.

And a few months later, when I shared with the entire Elevation congregation that I see a counselor weekly, surprise (!), they didn’t stone me! They applauded me. My email inbox was flooded with:
“Pastor, thank you for doing what you have to do to stay connected and healthy”
emails.
It seems that folks appreciated the fact that I’m entirely committed to being in this race for the long haul.
They’re not shocked that I’m vulnerable. They’re just grateful that I’m not trying to appear bulletproof. Because they know, I know and God knows I’m not.

I think every pastor should consider seeing a professional counselor regularly.
For a few reasons:

1. Everybody’s a little crazy. Pastors are, by nature, extra crazy. All the good ones are, anyway.
2. Spiritual leadership makes you a wide target for spiritual warfare. You need all the help and protection you can get.
3. Ministry is very complex and draining. You need some place to process and be replenished. The more confidential the relationship where this happens, the better the chance you’ll actually open up, tell the truth, and experience progress. And it’s good to have a professional on the other side of the room who can get under the hood and tell you what’s really wrong, based on years of experience and training, and a God given discernment.
4. Pastors and leaders owe it to those they lead to keep their hearts in tip-top condition. As the heart of the pastor goes, so goes the heart of the church.
5. You’ll accomplish so much more for Christ when your heart is in proper alignment. Being emotionally whole drastically increases your productivity and your ministry effectiveness. And Holly says (unsolicited) I’m a better husband and dad. That’s enough reason in itself.

Furthermore, I think churches should foot the bill for their pastors to go to counseling. It’s a whole lot less expensive to underwrite your spiritual leader’s routine maintenance than to pay the price when he crashes and burns. Anybody wanna argue that?

Elevation, thanks for encouraging me to build a foundation to go the distance.
In Jesus’ Name, I’m staying healthy for the long haul.
I may be crazy, but at least I’m doing something about it.