Be a ministry statistic. A good one.
We make heroes out of people who rush into burning buildings.
Rightfully so.
The courage it takes to hazard one’s life in order to save another is the best of us.
Ministry is a lot like that.
We are compelled to set aside our own comfort in order to go where the hurting are.
As rewarding as this process is, however, it’s not without great cost.
The stress of saving lives.
I have a friend who is an EMT. As someone in the business of “saving lives”, he’s constantly on the edge of burnout. This is because, no matter how many people he helps, the next day there’s someone else who needs saving.
Ministry is a lot like that.
As rewarding as it is to minister to the hurting on the one hand, it’s equally draining on the other hand. And much like the EMT profession, the threat of burn out in the ministry is ever present.
I have first-hand experience with this. Seven years ago, as a church planter, I burned out to the point where I thought ministry was over for me.
But by God’s grace it wasn’t.
I tell my story in my book, Better After Burnout, which you can order here
Ministry life is hazardous. And t’s imperative that we learn to balance engagement in ministry with personal spiritual health.
That’s what this series of posts has been all about. And today, we wrap it up.
But before we do, let’s review.
The 3-R Method for Ministry Longevity
In the past two posts we’ve been discussing The 3-R Method for Ministry Longevity. I base this principle on Jesus’ ministry rhythm displayed in Luke 5.
In short, The 3-R Method encourages you to:
Retreat from the crowd.
Renew your mind, body, and soul.
Re-engage the crowd to minister again.
Want to catch up on what you missed?
Today, we close out this series by discussing the third “R”. That is, the need to RE-ENGAGE the crowd for another round of ministry.
To fully understand this point, let’s go back to our anchor passage.
The sequel that never was
Our story in Luke 5 begins with Jesus ministering to a huge crowd. The highlight of the day was him healing a leper. Word of this spread like wildfire causing a throng of people to rush Jesus for Miracle Monday Part II.
But Jesus wasn’t up to a sequel.
Instead of working overtime, He RETREATED from the crowd in order to RENEW his mind, body, and soul.
Luke 5:15-16 says it like this.
15But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
Previously we discussed the rich lessons from our savior’s RETREAT for RENEWAL. But that’s not the end of the story.
RE-ENGAGEMENT is.
Take a rest. Then get back at it.
Although it is the crowd that saps our energy, it’s also the crowd to which we are called. And once we’ve recovered, like Jesus, we must RE-ENGAGE to minister again. No matter how scary it can be.
Luke 5:17-19 shows us this.
“…They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.”
Here we find a RENEWED Jesus at it again.
Up to his neck in broken, hurting, desperate people. In fact, the crowd was so dense that a few guys cut the healing line. They hauled their paralytic friend to the roof, tore a hole in it, and lowered him down to Jesus.
In this instance, Jesus didn’t walk away.
Instead, He healed the man. Not only that, He forgave his sins, got into hot water with the Pharisees, and brought glory to God in the eyes of the people.
All in a day’s work.
Since we’re not God manifested in the flesh, our ministry day might not look EXACTLY like this, but it will be similar. Ministry work days will involve bringing Jesus to hurting, broken, and desperate people. Especially these days.
And we cannot share Him from the solitude of the desert. Because the desert’s not where the people are.
So after you’ve had your rest and recovery, rush back into yet another burning building.
Because that’s where the saving happens.
Be a Statistic. A Good One.
In conclusion, while ministry statistics suggest you might not finish your course and keep your faith. I believe you will. I also believe you should. Because there is great heavenly and earthly reward in the weathering of tough times in order to thrive on the other side.
Paul said it like this, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
You’re going to be on the thrive side of the statistics.
Especially, if you cultivate a rhythm of RETREAT, RENEWAL, and RE-ENGAGEMENT.
Just like Jesus did.