Finding Rest In A Busy Ministry

I only remembered the first two minutes of the movie.  Before the opening credits were over I was asleep.  My tiredness was from a long week of busyness.  My body worn out, needed rest.

Courtesy of Lance Shields/Creative Commons License

The pressure to do more in youth ministry is exhausting.  It can get so overwhelming that the idea of rest seems foreign.  It’s during these moments that you should stop and look at what you can do to find rest.  To get there you need to:

• Protect Your Boundaries: You need to know your limits by understanding your strengths and weaknesses.  On top of that, prioritize what’s most important personally, and professionally.  Anytime something new comes along ask yourself, “Can this take the place of anything I currently have?” If the answer is no, then don’t add it.  If you can protect your boundaries you’ll find yourself working at a higher capacity.

• Schedule Moments To Breathe: Stopping might be hard; but, if you do not rest you’ll burn yourself out.  Schedule in sabbaths throughout your week where you can do something that refuels you.  It can be anything from a 15 minute nap to running a couple of miles.  Don’t just assume you’ll fit it in, put it there intentionally.

• Invest In Others To Keep It Moving: Relying on others is one of the keys to longevity in youth ministry.  When you learn to delegate responsibilities and invest in future leaders, you’ll find your mind at rest when you need to take a step back.  A major part of leading is learning how to replace yourself before your time is up.

• Rest In God: Sometimes you just need to rest in God’s presence.  You can do that through adoration, listening to worship music or just journaling quietly before you start your day.  You might feel like you cannot stop; however, you really cannot afford to start a day with God.

Putting together some best practices is the key to finding rest in ministry.  It’s about finding times to physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally refuel.  If you do not care for yourself, then you’ll find yourself restless, frustrated and done.  And no one wants that.

How do you find rest in the craziness of youth ministry?