How To Protect Your Passion For Ministry

Courtesy of KellBailey/ Creative Commons License

You walk into work on a Monday, blink and now it’s Sunday all over again.  Where did the week go?  You know where it went.  It went to all the phone calls, emails, and meetings that filled up your day.  You came home tired, worn out, slipped in a little dinner and then passed out in front of the couch watching WHO KNOWS WHAT.

As you get older time flies by and it can become harder and harder to manage each day.  And as each day grows shorter the amount of busy work piles up.  The inboxes grow full, the piles grow taller and you are left wondering, “When do I get to do youth ministry?”  

Life is going to be crazy and there are always going to be distractions and obstacles preventing you from doing what you love.  In order to manage the busy work and enjoy the reasons you were originally called to youth ministry you need to make sure you are:

• SCHEDULING OUT YOUR DAY: The main reason you find yourself scattering from one project to the next is because you haven’t prioritized your responsibilities.  Take 15 minutes to write up your IDEAL schedule.  I emphasize ideal because too many times we end up scheduling the things that we are currently doing opposed to what really needs to be done.  After you craft your schedule go back and tweak it each month or even week.  Important Tip: Make sure you schedule in margin.

• EMBRACING A SABBATH: Granted you might not be able to take the whole day off; however, it’s important to find moments of rest in your day.  That might mean turning off the technology an hour before you go to bed or sitting away from your desk for lunch.  A Sabbath restores you and allows God to wash away your worries.  One of the reasons you are distracted from doing what you want or need to do is because you are too busy with other STUFF.  

• TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF: One of the biggest obstacles to your production is the fact that you aren’t taking care of yourself.  An unhealthy person is a tired, worn out and easily irritable one which means more mistakes and more time correcting those mistakes.  If you are eating right and taking care of your body you will feel good.  You will be more on top of your game and will be able to get those small tasks done.

• DELEGATE AND LET GO: You are doing too much and the reason you aren’t giving it up is because you fear that the quality will suffer.  You are right; however, only in your mind.  When you delegate a task, project or responsibility it means allowing someone else’s stamp on it.  That doesn’t mean it will be bad, it just means it won’t be like yours.  However, the more you delegate and pass off the more time you’ll have to focus on what it is you need and want to do.

When you aren’t doing the tasks that you want and need to do, it’s easy to fall out of love with ministry. To get that love back you need to make sure you are working within your strengths.  Make sure you aren’t sabotaging your own efforts by putting together a schedule, taking care of yourself, passing off the small stuff, and taking the time to rest.

How do you fuel and protect your passion for ministry?