During lunch with a colleague and friend, he recounted the impact a professor had on him. It was in a class where he was falling behind and he emailed the professor.
My friend laid out his reasons for getting behind with the work. The professor wrote back to let him know that he would be OK. And that in some seasons of life, you may be getting a B or C in the class, but that he wanted to make sure he was still getting “A’s” in life.
This concept is freeing but challenging.
We want home, life, and ministry to be congruent.
There’s no such thing as winning at your church ministry but losing at home.
Home and ministry must be friends.
But, if you can only get an A in one or other, choose to get an A at home, with your family, and in your personal life. Your character and integrity should be able to be graded with an A+. In the long haul, your ministry will benefit even if you are getting a B or other average grade at times for your performance.
Andy Stanley once said that he had to come to grips with the fact that he could only give 45 hours per week to the church and that was going to have to do. He had a young family and a budding ministry.
Pope John Paul was famous for praying, “I’ve done all I can do for your church today, God. But it is your church, so I’m going to bed.”
There are limitations.
You can’t do it all.
You’re going to disappoint someone. But try to make sure it’s not always your family and kids.
Be sure you’re shooting for A’s in life.
CS Lewis said, “if you aim for the earth, you will miss heaven and earth. If you aim for heaven, you will get both.”
I wonder if we could say a similar thing here: If you aim for a successful ministry, you will miss both a successful and whole life and a great ministry, but if you aim for wholeness found in Christ alone, you will get both.
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Other Posts:
Five Ways To Put Your Family First
Time Management For Church Leaders: The Big Three