Monday’s Ministry Encouragement: Written to encourage you, my friend in ministry, to be refreshed and renewed as we live for Christ and look toward the Bema.
Are you ministering on a nearly empty tank, yet making it look like your tank is full?
Men, please hear me! You need to get away!
You must have times of spiritual, physical, and mental refreshment! You cannot go seven days-a-week, every week, with your foot on the accelerator pressed to the floor!
No matter what may be your personal or perceived expectations, you need a short or long-term period of renewal and refreshment!
Two things to consider:
1. You are not your congregation’s messiah! Don’t build the ministry around yourself, even if you are pastoring a smaller work. Teach your folk to depend upon God, run to Him first, then you if necessary. Train your folks to minister to others. Their prayers are as effective as yours and their counsel as biblical as yours.
Furthermore, you may be involved in a ministry program that you started, you had a burden for, but it was not God’s plan. A good thing but not His thing! So, you’re trying to keep the program(s) functioning. If the congregation doesn’t respond, you’re tempted to get frustrated with them because they won’t get behind your program! Friend, you are on a fast-track to burnout or fallout because you feel responsible to keep all the plates spinning. Frustrating and fatigue set in. Your spiritual defenses are weak. You are continually operating without prayer and rest! Your “cape” is looking extremely worn! (Btw, you won’t get everything done in ministry you think is necessary!) So . . .
2. You need to get away! This can be a morning or afternoon, a day, a week, or a sabbatical.
Recently on a Monday, I left the house around 11:00 a.m. and headed to Roan Mountain (Carver’s Gap) with my backpack, Bible, journal, and lunch. I hiked north on the AT for almost two miles, found a quiet, secluded rocky area off trail and set up for part of the afternoon. There, overlooking the valley into North Carolina, I read and prayed. The comfortable temps, cool breeze and bright sunshine were so refreshing! The best part . . . the quiet; stillness all around!!! Oh, I loved the hike, the exercise, the feast of blueberries along the trail, and meeting folk as we passed, but the best was . . . the quiet. Psalm 23:2, He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
Pastor friend, you need times of quiet; just shutting down and being still. (And don’t feel guilty!)
Do you see Jesus asleep in the boat (Mark 4:35-40)? He knows there are many, many ministry opportunities and needs, yet He commands His disciples to get into the boat. What does Jesus do? He rests. And, so do you!
Where will you get away today or this week? Do you have it planned? If I can help you in this regard with some ideas, please reach out to me.
Pastor, let Jesus lead you beside the still waters! For without Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5).
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