Quality time and good relationships are some of the goals of a parent like me. But as a servant of God, I constantly deal with challenges in managing my home ministry and church ministry.
Over many years and many teaching moments, I have learned to navigate this often-complex terrain! Let me share my experience and how God raised me to become a wife, a mom of six beautiful kids, and His daughter.
No man is an island.
We all face battles, don’t we? Exodus 17 is a perfect example of winning battles that are sure to come. As I was reading this passage of scripture one day, I realized that the Israelites won not just because of the strength of their warriors, and not just because of the strength of Moses’ arms, but because of the help of Aaron and Hur.
God knew how long the battle would be and the burden of holding his hands up was too much for Moses to accomplish alone. So, He brought two men into Moses’ life to support his arms in the fight. Aaron and Hur’s faithfulness to support Moses helped Israel win the day!
Being an independent woman, I tend to do things and solve problems on my own. God showed me that winning battles often requires us to lock arms with other people. In fact, this builds brotherhood among us. God has never failed to send me people, my own Aarons and Hurs, to help support, strengthen and be a foundation for me in trying times. I know He won’t fail you either!
It’s okay not to be okay.
I remember when I was walked down our street to my best friend Kelly’s house. I walked over with tears in my eyes, and she said, “What’s going on?” And I said, “I need a hug.” She hugged me and prayed with me. What a difference that made!
Showing your vulnerability doesn’t make you weak. Sometimes, you need to show it to people who can understand you and say, “I know I have the strength to hold this, but will you help me?” Sometimes, let’s just be real, we just need a hug!
If you feel like there is no one to run to, remember that God is with you, comforting and supporting you. Seek Him, show Him your weakness, and let Him hold your arms and work on you. Ask Him to send you an Aaron and a Hur, support for times that may come.
Priorities really matter.
I consider my mission to be my primary goal. This focus keeps me stable. While failure is inevitable and I sometimes lose my sense of priorities, by regularly acknowledging my mission as my primary goal, I’m more apt to work in line with it and work toward it than if I didn’t make the distinction.
Every one of us looks forward to our goals. Choosing our priorities may disappoint other people. They may have expectations for us that aren’t in line with our understanding of our mission. But when we study the life of Jesus and read His words, we hear Him teaching us to focus our lives on completing our most important mission. If that’s what He’s telling us, that’s what we need to do!
Everyone needs to recharge.
Do you remember the story of God’s creation? On the seventh day, God took a rest. Do you remember when Jesus went away to be alone with the Father? He was pursuing rest. If the Savior of the world needed to recharge away from the crowds, alone with His Father, how much more do we need to recharge from our busy lifestyles and endless workloads and responsibilities?
As a pastor, when I’ve spent all day talking and ministering, I feel drained and need to recharge. Even a 30-minute nap in the afternoon will give me what I need to thrive throughout the rest of the day and to be more productive. We must heed the lifestyle of Jesus and take our own alone time to recharge both physically and spiritually.
Reject toxicity; inject healthy.
GIGO, that’s “garbage in, garbage out.” It simply means insufficient input guarantees flawed output. I noticed that when I haven’t been putting the right things into my mind, my mind starts becoming toxic. I become negative and even cranky. That’s not what God wants for me!
I set a goal to build positive relationships. I’m in a women’s leadership group in the Greater Columbus Area in Ohio. We get together to read and talk about a leadership book every month. It’s like iron sharpening other iron. We hold each other accountable to our goals, and we make sure to stick with and finish these books together. These healthy relationships and activities are like healthy injections for my daily life.
Balancing both home ministry and church ministry has never been an easy task. But through God’s help, guidance, and compassion every day, we are winning this battle, and you can too! God always knew what we needed, what we desired, and what to give to us. As we focused on His mission, He grew us in our ability to prioritize and stick to the task. He is still working on us today!Whatever you’re facing today, don’t be discouraged. God will lend you the support you need to complete your mission just as He lent it to Moses. He will use the people around you to be conduits of strength you didn’t have, and they’ll be your companions until the end of your battle. It’s your time to see victory! Walk in obedience and humility before God. He will teach you all you need, provide all you need, and surround you with those you need to win the battle.
