There are days when quitting feels like the only option. Your tank is on empty and you cannot bare to face another disappointing season. While stepping away might seem the easiest, sometimes running on empty is the right thing to do.
Courtesy of erix!/Creative Commons License
Youth ministry is going to be filled with desert periods. Times when you are tested and pushed. Instead of giving up hope you need to endure the difficulty because it’s only temporary. To run on empty you need to:
You have to make note that what you are going through is difficult. This will allow you to face the problem. It now becomes real and not something you are tip toeing around. First stop to solving any problem is acknowledging your existence.
When you are empty you’ll need others to pull you through. That means people who will:
One of the reasons we become empty is because we’ve done too much on our own. Relying on others will prevent a bad situation from growing worse.
You need to start saying, “NO” to some important things in order to improve the essential. Taking a step back allows you to slow down so that you can fill up. As you acquire more margin do not rush to fill it. Instead use it to slowly grow.
The only true way to survive on empty is to allow God to lead you. In fact ministry is all about pouring out so that nothing stands in the way of allowing God to pour into you. The reason we allow empty to stop us is because we feel like we can no longer grow.
While you can run on empty, it’s good to make it temporary. If you lean on God and really allow Him fuel you, you can overcome anything. Just don’t ignore it, move with it.
[reminder] When you feel empty how do you persevere? [/reminder]