Self Care
THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT
09/02/10 10
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”--Acts 17:6 (NKJV)
The first century believers turned their world upside down. I’ve been spending time this year looking through the Book of Acts, seeing how the early believers turned their world upside down and wondering how we can too. So how did they do it and how can we do it?
The book of Acts gives several insights into what empowered God’s people to do great things. Clearly they were filled with the Holy Spirit--turning the world upside down was a God-thing. They also were constantly together--they didn’t try to do it alone. There was a spirit of tenacity-- they knew how to shake off adversity--even the worst situations. The way they handled conflict also spurred them on. But there was another significant characteristic of the first century followers that spurred them on to turning their world upside down. Acts 11 outlines that key:
“Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God,
but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.
And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people.
(It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)”
--Acts 11:19-26 (NLT)
Acts 11 is one of those fairly obscure but amazingly significant turning point chapters in the Bible. In this passage Christianity changes from a Jews-only sect to a worldwide movement; it transforms from a Jerusalem thing to an everywhere thing; from contained to viral. The author, Luke, notes that it was here in Antioch that Christianity really got it’s liftoff--the believers weren’t called Christians in Jerusalem, it was in Antioch that things exploded. Read More...
The first century believers turned their world upside down. I’ve been spending time this year looking through the Book of Acts, seeing how the early believers turned their world upside down and wondering how we can too. So how did they do it and how can we do it?
The book of Acts gives several insights into what empowered God’s people to do great things. Clearly they were filled with the Holy Spirit--turning the world upside down was a God-thing. They also were constantly together--they didn’t try to do it alone. There was a spirit of tenacity-- they knew how to shake off adversity--even the worst situations. The way they handled conflict also spurred them on. But there was another significant characteristic of the first century followers that spurred them on to turning their world upside down. Acts 11 outlines that key:
“Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God,
but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith.
And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people.
(It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)”
--Acts 11:19-26 (NLT)
Acts 11 is one of those fairly obscure but amazingly significant turning point chapters in the Bible. In this passage Christianity changes from a Jews-only sect to a worldwide movement; it transforms from a Jerusalem thing to an everywhere thing; from contained to viral. The author, Luke, notes that it was here in Antioch that Christianity really got it’s liftoff--the believers weren’t called Christians in Jerusalem, it was in Antioch that things exploded. Read More...
ONLY TWO JOBS?
02/25/10 10
Several weeks ago my son, Tim, was preaching at our church when he started to talk about all the things he had going--youth pastor at the church, student at Sacramento State, husband and father of two, part-time waiter at Outback, and recent entrepreneur as he had just started a one-day a week lawn-care business with a friend. As he was listing his endeavors Tim made a casual remark that stuck with me. He said jokingly, “In this economy, if you only have two jobs, you might be lazy.”
Tim’s message that day was great (he’s my son, he is always great!) But the two-job comment got me thinking. Most of the churches we have started in the past couple of years require the planter to be carrying two jobs (at least). The economy has changed. Fund-raising has been a tougher task. Ends have been harder to meet. I started listing the planters we are serving and yes, most of them are working more than just the ministry job. I thought of our ethnic planters, and our planters serving in areas hit extremely hard by job-loss--most are bi-vocational. And I thought of our Growing Healthy Churches Network leaders--many of us are working at least two jobs. Hey, I’m working two jobs too!
Now I understand the concept of “double honor”--1 Timothy 5:17. Ministers should be paid, and paid well. I recognize that we are not to “muzzle the ox”--Deuteronomy 25:4 I know that “the worker deserves his wages”--1 Timothy 5:18. But sometimes in our culture we turn those admonitions into rights we demand. We can slip into a feeling of entitlement if we’re not careful.
Acts 18 tells us that the Apostle Paul, and Aquila and Pricilla were tent-makers. Many other characters from the Bible supported themselves during their ministry. Abraham raised cattle, Joseph was a government official, Joshua was a war general, Nehemiah was cupbearer to the King, and Luke was a physician. (I think Barnabas and Silas worked part-time at Starbucks.) Even Jesus himself worked as a carpenter.
But pay wasn’t demanded: “If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.”--1 Corinthians 9:12
Working two jobs can be a great help to those you are serving as well as those you are trying to reach. I am amazed at the number of folks from Outback that Tim has brought to our church. And I am amazed at the number of folks from our church that Tim has helped get jobs at Outback! Check out the Elk Grove Outback on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll see Discovery Church at work--literally and figuratively!
Of course, full-time pay is great and wonderful and humbling if you can get it. If you have a ministry job that pays salary, housing, insurance, retirement with loads of great benefits, thank God, really thank God! If you don’t have to work two or more jobs count your blessings. (And I realize that having two ministry jobs like I do is an incredible gift from God.) But in this changing economy, you might have to work two jobs (at least) for a season.
I do need to mention that taking time for our families, time with God, and time for self-care need to be priorities regardless of how many jobs we have. We’re not to burn out or shirk our other responsibilities.
But let’s get past the notion that in the United States we demand to be paid and if we aren’t we’re second-class ministers. “In this economy, if you only have two jobs, you might be lazy.”
I shared this “two-jobs” idea at a recent church planter cluster, and received this note back from one of our top planters:
“I forgot to thank you after the last cluster. I got two other jobs in the last 6 months and it felt like a failure to be doing them and not having 100% focus on the church. So thanks for giving me permission to have 3 jobs, and not feel like a failure.”
Keep up the good work--at all of your jobs. And in these high-unemployment times, if you know anyone who is hiring, let me know--maybe there’s a church planter who needs another job…
Tim’s message that day was great (he’s my son, he is always great!) But the two-job comment got me thinking. Most of the churches we have started in the past couple of years require the planter to be carrying two jobs (at least). The economy has changed. Fund-raising has been a tougher task. Ends have been harder to meet. I started listing the planters we are serving and yes, most of them are working more than just the ministry job. I thought of our ethnic planters, and our planters serving in areas hit extremely hard by job-loss--most are bi-vocational. And I thought of our Growing Healthy Churches Network leaders--many of us are working at least two jobs. Hey, I’m working two jobs too!
Now I understand the concept of “double honor”--1 Timothy 5:17. Ministers should be paid, and paid well. I recognize that we are not to “muzzle the ox”--Deuteronomy 25:4 I know that “the worker deserves his wages”--1 Timothy 5:18. But sometimes in our culture we turn those admonitions into rights we demand. We can slip into a feeling of entitlement if we’re not careful.
Acts 18 tells us that the Apostle Paul, and Aquila and Pricilla were tent-makers. Many other characters from the Bible supported themselves during their ministry. Abraham raised cattle, Joseph was a government official, Joshua was a war general, Nehemiah was cupbearer to the King, and Luke was a physician. (I think Barnabas and Silas worked part-time at Starbucks.) Even Jesus himself worked as a carpenter.
But pay wasn’t demanded: “If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.”--1 Corinthians 9:12
Working two jobs can be a great help to those you are serving as well as those you are trying to reach. I am amazed at the number of folks from Outback that Tim has brought to our church. And I am amazed at the number of folks from our church that Tim has helped get jobs at Outback! Check out the Elk Grove Outback on a Friday or Saturday night and you’ll see Discovery Church at work--literally and figuratively!
Of course, full-time pay is great and wonderful and humbling if you can get it. If you have a ministry job that pays salary, housing, insurance, retirement with loads of great benefits, thank God, really thank God! If you don’t have to work two or more jobs count your blessings. (And I realize that having two ministry jobs like I do is an incredible gift from God.) But in this changing economy, you might have to work two jobs (at least) for a season.
I do need to mention that taking time for our families, time with God, and time for self-care need to be priorities regardless of how many jobs we have. We’re not to burn out or shirk our other responsibilities.
But let’s get past the notion that in the United States we demand to be paid and if we aren’t we’re second-class ministers. “In this economy, if you only have two jobs, you might be lazy.”
I shared this “two-jobs” idea at a recent church planter cluster, and received this note back from one of our top planters:
“I forgot to thank you after the last cluster. I got two other jobs in the last 6 months and it felt like a failure to be doing them and not having 100% focus on the church. So thanks for giving me permission to have 3 jobs, and not feel like a failure.”
Keep up the good work--at all of your jobs. And in these high-unemployment times, if you know anyone who is hiring, let me know--maybe there’s a church planter who needs another job…
THE KEY IS WE
08/25/09 09
A husband and his wife advertised for a live-in maid to cook and do the housework. They hired a young girl, who worked out fine, was a good cook, polite, and kept the house neat. One day, after about six months, she came in and said she would have to quit. "But why?" asked the disappointed wife. She hemmed and hawed and said she didn't want to say, but the wife was persistent, so finally she said, "Well, I met this guy and I'm pregnant." The wife said, "Look, we don't want to lose you. My husband and I don't have children, and we'll adopt your baby if you will stay." She talked to her husband; he agreed, and the maid said she would stay. The baby came, they adopted it, and all went well. After several months though, the maid came in again and said that she would have to quit. The wife questioned her, found out that she was pregnant again, talked to her husband, and offered to adopt the baby if she would stay. She agreed, had the baby, they adopted it, and life went on as usual. In a few months, however, she again said she would have to leave. Same thing. She was pregnant. They made the same offer, she agreed, and they adopted the third baby. She worked for a week or two, but then said, "I am definitely leaving this time." "Don't tell me you're pregnant again?" asked the lady of the house.
"No," she said, "there are just too many kids here to pick up after."
All of us are tempted to quit--especially pastors, church planters and those working in ministry. Some statistics estimate that up to 1500 pastors quit each month. (Source: A Sunscape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy in crises, report from all denominations nationwide) And some of us feel like quitting 1500 time per month.
The temptations to quit are strong and they are out there, but how do we keep going? How do we keep from giving up and giving in?
“Here is something pretty unbelievable. The only living World War I veteran, a man named Frank Buckles just turned 109 years old. What’s even more amazing, he just finished his fourth tour in Afghanistan.”--Jay Leno
How do we keep going? There’s one overlooked key to perseverance that we see in the great perseverance chapter, 2 Corinthians 4.
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up… We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies... We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. .. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”--2 Corinthians 4 (NLT)
We can sum up this chapter this way: “We never give up…we never give up.”--2 Corinthians 4:1 & 4:16 (NLT)
Why not? What keeps us going?
Paul talks about the pressure.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV)
As planters and pastors we face all kinds of pressure: financial pressure, emotional pressure, financial pressure, family pressure, did I mention financial pressure?
We are pressed, but not crushed.
Paul talks about the perplexities.
“We are perplexed, but not driven to despair…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT)
We are perplexed. Sometime I just can’t figure it out. When the newly hired Executive Pastor at our church had to move to Oregon recently because his wife lost her job due to this economy, everyone on staff asked the same question, “Why is this happening?”
A lot of us face perplexing situations right now. But I like how the message translates this verse:
“We're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (The Message)
Paul talks about the persecutions.
“We are …persecuted, but not abandoned…”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
My daughter is home from China, where she serves ministering to students. We hear first hand of persecutions going on there.
I received this text from one of our planters yesterday, yes, yesterday--he is on the edge:
“Thanx. Here's latest on the other events of the day :)
I believe we just missed an attack by Gods grace. …Was guy among us loaded w/357 watching. Make a long story short …helicopter began flying overhead "looking" for us. At that point guys
decided to go… On road out of town just sped past 4 … trucks all loaded with gunmen headed toward vilage where we were. Headed back …. Gunmen on road now too. Big traffic parade we got past, those behind us won't :) tell more details when get back. Keep praying.”
Notice the happy face signs. He’s facing persecution, but pretty excited about the opportunity.
And we all have the opportunity of persecution. Maybe not with a 357 aimed at us, but as leaders our necks are on the line. We are taking shots.
Paul talks about the problems.
“We are … struck down, but not destroyed.”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
The Amplified Bible says, “we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.”
We get knocked down,
Headed into this most recent Super Bowl, it looked like history would be made: perhaps two undefeated teams would make it. The New Orleans saints started the season 13-0 before they lost to the Dallas Cowboys. The Indianapolis Colts started 14-0. They had a lead at halftime in game fifteen--their second-to-last-regular season game. But they pulled out their starters and lost.
The Colts took a lot of flak in the aftermath of that loss. A perfect season was in their grasp, but they passed on it. In the midst of the outcry about the loss, their team president Bill Polan had this to say, “Our goal is not an undefeated season. Our goal is to get to the Super Bowl and win.”
A lot of time we quit when we get knocked down. But Paul says our goal is not an undefeated life. Our goal is to keep going, to be standing at the end, to follow God no matter what.
“It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.”--Mexican Proverb
We face pressure, perplexities, persecutions and problems, so how do we persevere?
Obviously there are several paths to perseverance: perspective, prayer… (Check out Bill Hoyt’s article on this passage in last month’s seedlings for some antidotes to discouragement: (http://www.growinghealthychurches.org/art/art_652.shtml)
…but I want to suggest one primary key:
The Key is We
In this chapter Paul uses the term “we” 29 times and the term “us” five times.
The key to keep going is to not go alone.
Perseverance means teaming up with someone else.
That’s why we have a network! When I’m facing financial pressure, I think about our planter partners in Michigan and realize that if they can make it, so can I. When I am perplexed I reflect on my colleagues who are “undergoing the same kind of sufferings” and I keep going. When I think of persecutions, I realize there are a lot worse persecutions going on with my brothers and my daughter. And when I get knocked down, I recognize that the none of my colleagues is undefeated either.
We can keep going together. The key is “we.”
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble .”-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)
Here’s the application: Go to your cluster--get with the other folks who are going through the same things. Talk to your coach. Serve as a coach. Connect with other planters, leaders and pastors on the phone or through email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, Walkie-Talkie, carrier pigeon…or whatever. Do not neglect meeting together--make it a habit. Encourage one another, and all the more.
We may want to quit at times, but we can keep going, together. The key is “we.”
"No," she said, "there are just too many kids here to pick up after."
All of us are tempted to quit--especially pastors, church planters and those working in ministry. Some statistics estimate that up to 1500 pastors quit each month. (Source: A Sunscape Ministries of Colorado, which serves clergy in crises, report from all denominations nationwide) And some of us feel like quitting 1500 time per month.
The temptations to quit are strong and they are out there, but how do we keep going? How do we keep from giving up and giving in?
“Here is something pretty unbelievable. The only living World War I veteran, a man named Frank Buckles just turned 109 years old. What’s even more amazing, he just finished his fourth tour in Afghanistan.”--Jay Leno
How do we keep going? There’s one overlooked key to perseverance that we see in the great perseverance chapter, 2 Corinthians 4.
“Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up… We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies... We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. .. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”--2 Corinthians 4 (NLT)
We can sum up this chapter this way: “We never give up…we never give up.”--2 Corinthians 4:1 & 4:16 (NLT)
Why not? What keeps us going?
Paul talks about the pressure.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV)
As planters and pastors we face all kinds of pressure: financial pressure, emotional pressure, financial pressure, family pressure, did I mention financial pressure?
We are pressed, but not crushed.
Paul talks about the perplexities.
“We are perplexed, but not driven to despair…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (NLT)
We are perplexed. Sometime I just can’t figure it out. When the newly hired Executive Pastor at our church had to move to Oregon recently because his wife lost her job due to this economy, everyone on staff asked the same question, “Why is this happening?”
A lot of us face perplexing situations right now. But I like how the message translates this verse:
“We're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do…”--2 Corinthians 4:8 (The Message)
Paul talks about the persecutions.
“We are …persecuted, but not abandoned…”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
My daughter is home from China, where she serves ministering to students. We hear first hand of persecutions going on there.
I received this text from one of our planters yesterday, yes, yesterday--he is on the edge:
“Thanx. Here's latest on the other events of the day :)
I believe we just missed an attack by Gods grace. …Was guy among us loaded w/357 watching. Make a long story short …helicopter began flying overhead "looking" for us. At that point guys
decided to go… On road out of town just sped past 4 … trucks all loaded with gunmen headed toward vilage where we were. Headed back …. Gunmen on road now too. Big traffic parade we got past, those behind us won't :) tell more details when get back. Keep praying.”
Notice the happy face signs. He’s facing persecution, but pretty excited about the opportunity.
And we all have the opportunity of persecution. Maybe not with a 357 aimed at us, but as leaders our necks are on the line. We are taking shots.
Paul talks about the problems.
“We are … struck down, but not destroyed.”--2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
The Amplified Bible says, “we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed.”
We get knocked down,
Headed into this most recent Super Bowl, it looked like history would be made: perhaps two undefeated teams would make it. The New Orleans saints started the season 13-0 before they lost to the Dallas Cowboys. The Indianapolis Colts started 14-0. They had a lead at halftime in game fifteen--their second-to-last-regular season game. But they pulled out their starters and lost.
The Colts took a lot of flak in the aftermath of that loss. A perfect season was in their grasp, but they passed on it. In the midst of the outcry about the loss, their team president Bill Polan had this to say, “Our goal is not an undefeated season. Our goal is to get to the Super Bowl and win.”
A lot of time we quit when we get knocked down. But Paul says our goal is not an undefeated life. Our goal is to keep going, to be standing at the end, to follow God no matter what.
“It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall.”--Mexican Proverb
We face pressure, perplexities, persecutions and problems, so how do we persevere?
Obviously there are several paths to perseverance: perspective, prayer… (Check out Bill Hoyt’s article on this passage in last month’s seedlings for some antidotes to discouragement: (http://www.growinghealthychurches.org/art/art_652.shtml)
…but I want to suggest one primary key:
The Key is We
In this chapter Paul uses the term “we” 29 times and the term “us” five times.
The key to keep going is to not go alone.
Perseverance means teaming up with someone else.
That’s why we have a network! When I’m facing financial pressure, I think about our planter partners in Michigan and realize that if they can make it, so can I. When I am perplexed I reflect on my colleagues who are “undergoing the same kind of sufferings” and I keep going. When I think of persecutions, I realize there are a lot worse persecutions going on with my brothers and my daughter. And when I get knocked down, I recognize that the none of my colleagues is undefeated either.
We can keep going together. The key is “we.”
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble .”-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)
Here’s the application: Go to your cluster--get with the other folks who are going through the same things. Talk to your coach. Serve as a coach. Connect with other planters, leaders and pastors on the phone or through email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, Walkie-Talkie, carrier pigeon…or whatever. Do not neglect meeting together--make it a habit. Encourage one another, and all the more.
We may want to quit at times, but we can keep going, together. The key is “we.”
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
04/20/09 09
Recently we were having a church planter cluster that was attended by about twenty guys, and just one woman. The woman was a planter’s wife, a sharp girl--I respect her a lot. So, during one of the breaks I asked if she would be willing to tell us, from a woman’s perspective, a wife’s perspective, anything she felt we needed to hear. I asked if she would give us, “a word from the wife!” She welcomed the opportunity.
We gave her the floor and what she said really hit me. She said, “Take care of yourself!” Her message to us guys, pastors, church planters was: Take care of yourself. “You’re leading us,” she explained, “we need you to be spending time with God, to be healthy, to be attending clusters like these…take care of yourself.”
That message really hit me hard. It spoke to me--for several reasons. One is it was a Biblical message that we often miss. Jesus said the second commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”--Mark 12:31
I’ve heard it said that if we don’t love ourselves our neighbor is in big trouble. And I guess we can extrapolate that if I, as a leader, don’t take care of myself, my wife is in big trouble. If we as leaders don’t take care of ourselves, our churches are in big trouble.
Although there is no command that says, “Thou shalt take care of thyself,” the Bible is full of admonitions to give thought to our ways, to set clear boundaries, and to take care of ourselves.
I was reading the parable of the ten virgins recently and I must admit that I’m not sure I get what Jesus’ was saying. But there is a point where the girls who had oil were asked to share with those who didn’t have oil. They responded, “'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'--Matthew 25:9
They set boundaries, they said, “No”, they took care of themselves--this is a clear Biblical principle.
A second reason why the message, “Take care of yourself” hit me is it represents the primary philosophy of the Growing Healthy Churches Network--we’re trying to take care of planters. We are trying to “set apart” (Acts 13:2), support, provide for and take care of high level leaders. That’s what we do.
We have ten systems of support: Spiritual Vitality, Funding, Inviting, Assessing, Vision Alignment, Training, Coaching, Caring, Creativity and Partnering--all designed to serve leaders. But if a leader isn’t willing to take care of himself or herself, the systems don’t work like they should.
The third reason why that message hit me hard is this summer I’ve sensed God’s call to take better care of myself. Now, I am doing pretty well with taking care of myself spiritually--spending time with God. And I take care of myself physically most of the time--working out and being somewhat careful of what I eat. But God has been showing me that I haven’t been taking care of myself emotionally very well--I’ve let boundaries slip, allowed folks to take advantage of me, worked too much, and haven’t been careful in this area.
So, I’ve been working on taking care of myself lately. I’ve had a number of tough conversations, re-setting boundaries, re-establishing limits and being more intentional about what I can do and what I can’t. It has been a tough time for me. I don’t like being that guy--who has to talk about boundaries a lot. I’ve had some difficult conversations, knowing God is leading me to do so.
And yet in the middle of this time, God reminded me through a wise voice--“Take care of yourself!”
Amazingly, as I have been trying to take care of myself, my wife, Lori has consistently thanked me for it. It’s been rough for me, but she is thrilled that I’ve been working on it. I’m reminded that if I don’t take care of myself, my neighbor, my wife, and the people around me are in big trouble.
So here’s the message for all of us: Take care of yourself!
To comment on this article contact JD a JDPearring@aol.com
We gave her the floor and what she said really hit me. She said, “Take care of yourself!” Her message to us guys, pastors, church planters was: Take care of yourself. “You’re leading us,” she explained, “we need you to be spending time with God, to be healthy, to be attending clusters like these…take care of yourself.”
That message really hit me hard. It spoke to me--for several reasons. One is it was a Biblical message that we often miss. Jesus said the second commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”--Mark 12:31
I’ve heard it said that if we don’t love ourselves our neighbor is in big trouble. And I guess we can extrapolate that if I, as a leader, don’t take care of myself, my wife is in big trouble. If we as leaders don’t take care of ourselves, our churches are in big trouble.
Although there is no command that says, “Thou shalt take care of thyself,” the Bible is full of admonitions to give thought to our ways, to set clear boundaries, and to take care of ourselves.
I was reading the parable of the ten virgins recently and I must admit that I’m not sure I get what Jesus’ was saying. But there is a point where the girls who had oil were asked to share with those who didn’t have oil. They responded, “'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'--Matthew 25:9
They set boundaries, they said, “No”, they took care of themselves--this is a clear Biblical principle.
A second reason why the message, “Take care of yourself” hit me is it represents the primary philosophy of the Growing Healthy Churches Network--we’re trying to take care of planters. We are trying to “set apart” (Acts 13:2), support, provide for and take care of high level leaders. That’s what we do.
We have ten systems of support: Spiritual Vitality, Funding, Inviting, Assessing, Vision Alignment, Training, Coaching, Caring, Creativity and Partnering--all designed to serve leaders. But if a leader isn’t willing to take care of himself or herself, the systems don’t work like they should.
The third reason why that message hit me hard is this summer I’ve sensed God’s call to take better care of myself. Now, I am doing pretty well with taking care of myself spiritually--spending time with God. And I take care of myself physically most of the time--working out and being somewhat careful of what I eat. But God has been showing me that I haven’t been taking care of myself emotionally very well--I’ve let boundaries slip, allowed folks to take advantage of me, worked too much, and haven’t been careful in this area.
So, I’ve been working on taking care of myself lately. I’ve had a number of tough conversations, re-setting boundaries, re-establishing limits and being more intentional about what I can do and what I can’t. It has been a tough time for me. I don’t like being that guy--who has to talk about boundaries a lot. I’ve had some difficult conversations, knowing God is leading me to do so.
And yet in the middle of this time, God reminded me through a wise voice--“Take care of yourself!”
Amazingly, as I have been trying to take care of myself, my wife, Lori has consistently thanked me for it. It’s been rough for me, but she is thrilled that I’ve been working on it. I’m reminded that if I don’t take care of myself, my neighbor, my wife, and the people around me are in big trouble.
So here’s the message for all of us: Take care of yourself!
To comment on this article contact JD a JDPearring@aol.com