In life there are a few things we can do to extend, or at least try to extend, the years that we live. These keys can also be used in the life of our ministry.
Moderation
As with food if we want to live longer we must moderate what we eat. In the Western world food is abundant. Everywhere you look there is food. Café’s supermarkets, stalls, billboards, fast food enterprises- you can’t seem to get away from food, it is on offer everywhere. If we want to reach our potential limits of lifespan a certain degree of moderation is required. We cannot and should not eat all that is on offer.
This can be likened to kid’s ministry. There is a plethora of ideas and programs out there on offer, some better than others but none the less they are available to us. When we see them all we can feel the need to taste them all. The urgency to try and implement them into our own programs can seem irresistible. Many in kids ministry have probably thought, ‘Others are doing it and they are succeeding, I need to taste it too. I need to keep up,’ and you keep adding to your already heavy workload. This attitude is unhealthy and tiring and may only just make you obese. You offer a lot but your lifespan is shortened due to the heavy weight you are trying to carry.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying do not try new things or change things when required. What I am saying is learn to pick and choose, be moderate. Assess your needs regularly. Get your team together and review what is working, what is not working, what needs change and what needs to be kept. Once you have assessed your needs then assess your capabilities, don’t start what you cannot maintain. Set up systems and processes so that anything that you implement can be sustained. One important tool I learnt early in my ministry life was shelving. This is not putting up shelves but learning to put ideas on the back burners for a while until a more suitable time.
Shelving and storing are useful tools in helping to maintain moderation and balance. When you use these techniques you are not saying, ‘No’ to any ideas but, ‘I will use that a later date.’ It is like keeping an item of food for another day. You know you have had too many treats today so you are leaving this one for a time when you can enjoy it without going overboard.
Diet
The amount you eat can affect your lifespan and what you eat also has an affect. The right kinds of foods are essential for a lifespan that is free from disease. We all know the problems of consuming too much salt, sugars or fats. Certain foods on the other hand seemed to be associated with longevity. Diets rich in fish, green tea, olives, almonds and red wine seem to add years to your life. Obviously, all consumed in moderation again. So what keeps us healthy in ministry? A diet rich in The Word!
Spiritual input is required. You have to feed on the right stuff to maintain peak health. Ensure you make time to not only read your Bible but study it. Make time for prayer and seeking God. Regularly get together with people who can mentor and guide you. Attend church and small groups if available. Don’t just hang out in your ministry area and become insular. Broaden your diet and include what will nourish it. Without the proper nourishment you become weak and you will tire easily. Make God your priority-not your ministry and the ability to stick at it will not be difficult as He will sustain you.
A diet rich in service with no breaks, no time off to attend church and doing everything yourself leads to burn out. Plan breaks in your year, ensure you get into church and learn to trust others to do the job- delegate. Things may not run as smoothly without you but this gives others the opportunity to grow and you time to refresh.
