We pastors have all had moments of regret and wished we had done better. Many of our fumbles happened when our churches were young, functioning out of our family rooms, local schools, or hotels. We just did whatever needed to be done, even when we didn’t feel gifted to do it. Thank God for the wisdom we acquired, which we can now use to mentor others and help them through their challenging seasons of ministry.
Today, I want to discuss transitioning from being regularly tired to refreshed. The first step in this process is to examine how you plan your time. If you feel responsible for every little thing that is going on in your ministry, you’ll fail to use your time effectively and be constantly worn out. You won’t have enough energy to finish your race.
I know ministers who didn’t make it through their races. They made poor decisions and had moral failures, and it impacted the body of Christ and wounded many. How did this begin? They got worn out. Then, they started making poor choices and turning to the wrong things and people for refreshment. None of them anticipated failure. They simply didn’t pay enough attention to what we’re discussing today, which led them to make decisions they never intended to make. Lifelong regret.
We must examine how we plan our time. There have been seasons of my life where it got hectic. I don’t mind a great deal of hard work or long hours, but my wife and I have told ourselves many times, “This is just a season,” only to find that those seasons kept linking together. The time comes when you have to say, “No. This is not a season; this is my way of operating, and something has to change.” That’s part of walking in repentance, realizing what you’ve been doing that is wrong and committing to making changes to do what is right.
As a pastor, part of effective time management is accepting that we cannot meet everyone’s needs and that perfection is never a possibility. Excellence is always the target, but if we live in a state of perfectionism, the self-imposed pressure to perform in ministry will lead to fatigue. It won’t matter what we do or how much we pray—we’re going to be frustrated. The ability to aim for excellence and build a team that shares this goal is crucial. There’s margin in excellence, not in perfection. Your team will enjoy you more when you wipe perfection off the slate.
I’ve attended many pastors’ meetings over the years, and some felt more like posturing wars to see who was the coolest and most successful pastor among those present. There’s a weird egocentric pressure created in these settings, and it’s contrary to the Word. We’re not to do anything with selfish ambition or conceited motives, but rather all to the glory of God (Philippians 2:3).
Next, you must determine how to fulfill your purpose and build effective teams. If you want to have a healthy marriage and a healthy relationship with your kids, you need to allow God to raise up other pastors and team members to help you in ministry. Now, will the process of raising up a team be enjoyable every day? No. Are the tasks of recruiting, hiring and firing challenging at times? Yes. It’s hard. I only set aside so many time slots per week to do the things I know require quality energy. If I schedule too many of them, I’ll fall into fix-it mode, and it will affect how many people I’m able to help and the quality of word I receive from the Lord for them.
Denominational pressure, performance quotas, and other factors impose unspoken pressure on those of us in ministry. When I was in Bible school, I told the Lord that I would do whatever He wanted me to do. I said, “As long as I know You’re going to be there with me, I’ll do anything you ask, but I’m not going to do it without You.” I’ve never lost that commitment. I keep my heart wide open to God, and then ministry is easier because I feel like He’s doing it. I’m just yielding to be available for His will. I find that in this position, refreshing comes directly from Him.
When the church was smaller, God gave me a grace for that season because I needed to be in the minutia. If I had to handle all those details today, I would be miserable. See, it’s important to recognize your gifts and then build your ministry around those giftings. Fill the gaps with people so that everything is done with excellence and care. If you don’t, details will be missed, people will feel unimportant, and someone will get emotionally hurt. You need to have a lot of different eyes on the congregation as it grows to ensure that they’re doing well and that the structures in place are still meeting their needs appropriately.
I look at it this way: Someone is supposed to be doing great things that are vital to your ministry alongside you. If you don’t utilize them, not only will they lose a reward because they didn’t get a chance to use their gift, but you will be standing in the way of them doing a great job at what you may only be doing a good job at. Delegation is a beautiful thing.
And finally, you need to make refreshing a fixed priority. If refreshing is always something you’re going to get to eventually, you’re probably never going to live in the refreshing of the Lord. For me, early mornings belong to the Lord. I need that time. I need to hear the tone of His voice ringing in my ears all day long. Don’t we all? If you haven’t developed the discipline yet, allow the Father time to speak into your life. That alone will naturally help you establish a healthier rhythm.
There’s wisdom in creating margin. If you don’t have a big team to take pressure off you right now, God can show you how to build a team in your face-to-face moments, and He can give you the right people to network with. It’s not so much that you’re creating the team; you’re just making yourself available to God, who is creating it.
Making all kinds of ministry maneuvers because human wisdom says it should be done, and fanning the flames of fires God never started, will wear you out. Make church as simple as possible, and then minister from that position. Program envy is a one-way ticket to an early grave.
Pastor, it’s essential that you take time to cultivate the rhythms of rest, repentance (rethinking and committing to being and doing better), and refreshment. Start thinking about how you can make changes that better guarantee you’ll finish your race strong. Take a look at Carey Nieuwhof’s resources. He has some great insights into organizational management and leadership that I think will bless you. Pick up a copy of “Living Forward” by Michael Hyatt. It’s a proven plan to stop drifting and develop the life you want. Ministers have already walked the road you’re walking today. Learn from them. Seek wisdom. And stay connected here at Significant Church, where we’ll continue sharing practical tools for effective ministry and living.
God doesn’t require you to be perfect to be in ministry. He has grace for you. Turn to Him and choose to depend more on Him to make you effective in fulfilling your mission. Commit to Him everything that causes you stress, and receive His peace and presence. You will be an effective and refreshed minister for the glory of God!
This blog was created using content from the webinar Refreshed, Repentance, Rhythms.
