In this second excerpt from the upcoming Sovereign Grace Leadership Interview podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” C.J. highlights counsel from C.H. Spurgeon and how it’s helped him cast his burdens upon the Lord. And C.J. warns of the weariness of soul that results when we seek to carry these burdens ourselves.

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C.J. Mahaney: We must be prepared for the experience of weariness of soul, particularly when one is involved in pastoral ministry, because each day we are carrying in our hearts those entrusted to our care.

A certain percentage of those individuals are experiencing the gift and test of prosperity. And when we interact with them, we rejoice with them as we hear how God is blessing and providing for them.

But there will always be a certain percentage of the congregation who are experiencing the test of adversity and who are suffering. And it is our privilege, our role, and our responsibility to care for them.

There will always be a certain percentage in the congregation who are fighting particular besetting sins, and it doesn’t appear to us they are making consistent progress. And though we are deploying the best information we have on biblical counseling, it doesn’t appear that progress is being made.

And, of course, there are each week unexpected incidents of suffering and death. One cannot be interacting with individuals in the various seasons of life, walking through severe suffering over a lengthy period of time, and remain unaffected by what they are experiencing. We are affected, and if we do not pay attention to our own souls, after a period of time, we will become weary if we do not regularly at the outset of the day keep watch over our souls. And then, throughout the day, we must pay attention to our souls and be casting our cares upon the Lord.

I came across a quote by Mr. Spurgeon recently where he said, “I always feel it well just to put in a few words of prayer between everything I do.” That is seriously helpful counsel, because too often I don’t put in just a few words of prayer. I move from one meeting to the next meeting, and cares are accumulating in my soul because I am not stopping at a certain point to “put in a few words of prayer.”

I don’t necessarily need, nor do I have, an extended period of time to pray during the day. But that moment of dependence upon God, trusting in God, casting a care upon God, can make all the difference in the maintenance of my soul. And I have always found it so helpful and so encouraging and so relevant that in the context of addressing elders, Peter exhorts us to be “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV).

It would appear that as Peter thinks of exhorting the elders and caring for the elders, he intentionally and strategically places this passage there, knowing this is our daily temptation.

So that’s how I seek to monitor my heart, not only with the consistent practice of spiritual disciplines at the beginning of the day, but also this attention to my soul throughout the day, so that I am not eventually overwhelmed by the cares present every day.…

I think if you overheard me pray, you wouldn’t be impressed with the content of my prayers (and maybe that can be an encouragement to all who are listening). My prayers are simple because I am simple. When I think of casting all my cares, it is a simple acknowledgement that I am dependent upon God. At the conclusion of pastoral interactions, I must acknowledge that at best I can be a means of grace. They need the God of all grace, and I am insufficient in myself to care for them and provide for them the grace they need. Therefore I must humble myself and acknowledge my dependence upon God.

And I think that very act of pausing to pray is an act of weakening pride in my life, acknowledging that I am a dependent creature, I am not self-sufficient.

But if I understand faith, it is not simply or solely acknowledging my dependence. It also involves actively trusting the God revealed in this passage, who does indeed care for them and has demonstrated that care, ultimately, by crushing his Son on Calvary for them.

Therefore, I trust you, Lord, for this individual, and I trust to you my care for this individual. I trust your sovereignty. I trust your goodness. I trust your wisdom to intervene and to provide.

Those words would form the content of my prayer, which I hope express a certain sincerity and, I trust, certain humility in prayer that makes all the difference in my soul. And I am aware that when I neglect that practice, weariness eventually sets in to my soul, a weariness rooted in pride and self-sufficiency.

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The full hourlong podcast, “The Pastor and His Soul,” will be available for download this Tuesday (iTunes).