Today, I started a new senior pastor's network. I have been eagerly anticipating this experience and looking forward to this opportunity to grow my calling. The reason I am joining this network is because it is my desire to be the best senior pastor I can be for the Lord, for the Church, and for you. I am not content to give God less than my best.
I have a name for this. I call it Holy Discontent. It is not a bad discontent. It is a good discontent. It is a sense that we can always be more the Lord and there is always more that we can do for the kingdom. I am never satisfied.
I want more for the people of God. I want more for Lord of Life Church. I want more for our community. I want more for you. And I realize that for God to use me in a greater way I need to be open to allowing him to expand my skill and ability.
God has given us all giftings and passions to fulfill the work he has called us to. God works through people who do things well. I would encourage you to look at your callings and passions in ministry and the ways that you serve the Lord. Then ask yourself, "how can I grow in this calling? How can be a better usher, Small Group leader, children's minister, elder, etc?"
Here's a few ideas:
1) Evaluate. Improvement does not take place without evaluation. Ask yourself, "how am I doing?" Honestly access and identify your strengths and your areas for growth.
2) Set goals. Seek where God would have you go. Set goals in accordance that are measurable and attainable.
3) Read. Find a book or a website that is dedicated to helping you grow in your calling.
4) Pray. Earnestly ask for the Holy Spirit to increase your effectiveness. Even better have others pray with you and for you to hold you accountable.
5) Network. Find others who are also seeking to grow in your calling. Then spend time together to encourage each other.
6) Prioritize your time. Sometimes we are caught doing things that are urgent and not necessarily important. Find ways to set aside the urgent to allow yourself to spend time doing what is important.
7) Discover your gift and passions and then work in those areas. Sometimes we are serving in areas of ministry that we are not all that gifted for and not all that passionate for. This is not what God intended. God gave you those gifts and passions for a reason. If you are not serving in an area of your passion it stands to reason you are not going to be all you can be for the Lord in that area of ministry.
8) Celebrate successes. Sometimes we get so focused on what we are not accomplishing that we forget to celebrate what we do accomplish. Feel free to receive a pat on the back from time to time as a encouragement to expand even more.
9) Take a break. Sometimes the best way to step up is to step back. Taking a sabbath helps to renew and refresh us. I know some recent time of vacation has helped put a little bounce back in my step.
10) Delegate or join efforts. This is hard. It is so much easier to do it ourselves. But one rule of ministry I learned some time ago was never do ministry alone. By insisting on doing ministry alone we will fail to multiply our ministry to its full potential. Partnerships are great!
To sum it all up, never be satisfied, because the minute we are satisfied is the minute we have given God less than our best.
Readings for next week:
August
31 Job 37:1-39:30
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10
Psalm 44:9-26
Proverbs 22:13
September
| 01 | Job 40:1-42:17 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Psalm 45:1-17 Proverbs 22:14 | 02 | Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Psalm 46:1-11 Proverbs 22:15 | |
| 03 | Ecclesiastes 4:1-6:12 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7 Psalm 47:1-9 Proverbs 22:16 | 04 | Ecclesiastes 7:1-9:18 2 Corinthians 7:8-16 Psalm 48:1-14 Proverbs 22:17-19 | |
| 05 | Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14 2 Corinthians 8;1-15 Psalm 49:1-20 Proverbs 22:20-21 | 06 | Song of Solomon 1:1-4:16 2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Psalm 50:1-23 Proverbs 22;22-23 |
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