Church Leadership
12 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Ministry (part 4)
24/08/20
This is very much like rekindling ministry passion. The fuel is still there. The need is still there. A low heat is still there. But work needs to be done – attitudes, activities, methods, goals, etc. need to be shifted. In this final part of 12 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Ministry, we look at three more concepts that will help stoke up the heat.
10. Refuse Negative Self-Talk.
Earlier this year I started watching a YouTube series done by a young lady who hiked the first part of a long trail here in NZ. While I admired her tenacity in completing the difficult journey, I grew tired of her morning ritual of complaining about what she had gone through the day before and what she would have to endure in the day ahead. Matter-of-fact, I stopped watching her videos about a third into her journey because the counsellor in me wanted to keep interacting with the videos in a non-restful way. I did benefit from her videos though. She gave me a visual demonstration of the reality that even the most enjoyable activities can be spoiled by negative self-talk.“Self-flagellation”. This is a term introduced to me by a counselling mentor as he heard me describe my self-assessment. I wonder how many times we spoil ministry joys through self-flagellation. Yes, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” But constant negative self-talk is not necessarily a sign of humility. It actually may be a sign we are ignoring the gifts, skills, and abilities God has given us to do His work. May I suggest an alternative?
“I can’t, but God can through me.”
God has given you the opportunity to join Him in the work He is doing in your community. He has wired you to do the work He wants you to do. He has given you everything you need. Negative self-talk will hide who God has made you to be, so refuse to speak it or listen to it. Live to what God has designed you to be.
11. Repent of soul-crushing sin.
Leading people towards Christlikeness involves leading them away from self-serving sin. Confronting sinful attitudes, actions, and beliefs in your church family requires a great deal of personal fortitude. Some may use that kind of confrontation to justify leaving your church. Some may respond angrily and seek to force you out of the church. Confronting sin in these days is not for the faint of heart. It is doubly difficult if you are hiding the same sin you are confronting.Confidently knowing you are walking with the Lord in close fellowship because there is nothing between you and Him is one of the greatest life-giving elements you can have in ministry! Knowing that - even in the face of all kinds of struggles, trials, misunderstandings, and disappointments – you are in right relationship and walking with the Lord will give you a confidence that cannot be shaken. Is there any soul-crushing sin in your life? Is there anything you are holding onto that keeps you from ministry confidence? Repent of it and rekindle the joy of cleanliness before the Lord.
12. Recount the Gospel.
I know of a pastor who struggled with depression for a bit. One of the activities he found most helpful to him when he was in that emotional darkness was to share the gospel message with someone who needed it. Sharing this life-changing message reminds you of what is really important. Ministry is not about budgets, meetings, schedules, meetings, administration, building maintenance, meetings (did I already say that?). Ministry is about helping people find relationship with God and then helping them grow in that relationship. This is what God has called you to do! If your passion for ministry needs to be rekindled, this where you start. Add gospel fuel to your ministry fire. There is nothing that will rekindle your passion for ministry like watching someone get added to God’s family.So that completes my list of 12 ways to rekindle your ministry passion. Review the list. What are you doing well? What are doing but need to improve on? What do you need to restart right now? Why don’t you pray through this list and ask the Lord to show you what He wants you to see?
- Relax in your own humanity
- Revisit your calling
- Renew your soul
- Reorganise your schedule
- Rediscover your strengths
- Remember God’s promises
- Rehearse the blessings
- Refocus on the future
- Re-evaluate your relationships
- Refuse negative self-talk
- Repent of soul-crushing sin
- Recount the gospel
12 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Ministry (part 3)
13/07/20
Re: “to do something again”. 
Kindle: “to set something on fire”.
Rekindle: “to set something on fire again”.
This last definition implies that what is being rekindled was once on fire. There once was heat and light coming from it. But the implication also is that the heat and light are dimming, if not gone altogether.
When that happens to your pastoral ministry, what do you do. So far we have looked at six activities that help rekindle your ministry passion. They are found here and here.
Now we move onto three more.
I think that is still a great remedy, especially when pastoral ministry is cold and dreary. Even the most positive optimist is going to struggle in ministry from time to time. It is then that rehearsing your blessings is so vital. You are reminded that God has been good, is good, and certainly will be good. You are reminded that it’s not ALL negative and hard and dreary and cold. There certainly have been positive and easy and bright and warm times as well. Rehearse when you have seen God at work, and let the blessings of that sink into your soul.
One of my heroes that helps me fight that thought tendency is Moses. If you divide his life into thirds, his best years were all at the end! The first and second thirds prepared him for the great task God gave him in the last third. I think an interesting biblical study would be to see who else would fit this model: Ruth, Samson, Elijah, King Manasseh, the disciples, Paul, etc. There are plenty of examples of people who kept moving forward into new expressions of serving the Lord.
The best years are NOT behind you if you keep looking forward to where God is leading you and join Him on that journey.
Look, people can be draining – even for you extroverts! I’ve written – and will write more in the future – about getting alone to recharge your batteries. Even though people can be frustrating at times, working to help them grow to Christlikeness is what gives you such great satisfaction! So stick at it, making sure to recharge so you can be the best version of yourself.
However, there are people that you need to release from your life. Consider the number of co-workers the apostle Paul had, and the few times he released people because they were no longer healthy for him and the ministry God had called him to. Pastor, there is more than likely some people in your life that are a constant drain on your ministry passion, sometimes even colleagues. I encourage you to look at this next graphic and consider whether you are investing your energy in relationships that carry these qualities.
One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Romans 12:18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. I love the first part of that verse. It’s NOT possible to live peaceably with all; some people just don’t want to enter that kind of relationship. They enjoy keeping you off balance, manipulating you, talking behind your back, undermining you, etc. Those relationships will suck the life out of you. Release yourself from them! When you do, you will find how much they were negatively impacting your passion for ministry, and you will be well on your way to rekindling that same passion.
Which of these three do you need to implement first and right now? Pastor, you have a great work to do. Rekindle your ministry passion and re-join the Lord in reaching your community for Him.
Kindle: “to set something on fire”.
Rekindle: “to set something on fire again”.
This last definition implies that what is being rekindled was once on fire. There once was heat and light coming from it. But the implication also is that the heat and light are dimming, if not gone altogether.
When that happens to your pastoral ministry, what do you do. So far we have looked at six activities that help rekindle your ministry passion. They are found here and here.
Now we move onto three more.
7. Rehearse the Blessings
One of my enduring childhood church memories is sitting in church on a cold, dreary Sunday night – having just woken up from a great Sunday afternoon nap and being somewhat dragged to the building – and then finding it was “favourites night”. This was when people got to choose which hymn they wanted us all to sing. Invariably, Count Your Blessings was chosen by one of the older people. And away we would go – singing only “the first and the last”. I confess I didn’t understand a lot of the bigger words, but I did understand this: the answer for having to sit in church on a cold, dreary Sunday night when you just wanted to stay home was to “count your many blessings; see what God hath done”.I think that is still a great remedy, especially when pastoral ministry is cold and dreary. Even the most positive optimist is going to struggle in ministry from time to time. It is then that rehearsing your blessings is so vital. You are reminded that God has been good, is good, and certainly will be good. You are reminded that it’s not ALL negative and hard and dreary and cold. There certainly have been positive and easy and bright and warm times as well. Rehearse when you have seen God at work, and let the blessings of that sink into your soul.
8. Refocus on the Future
The older you get, the more history you have behind you, and the more tendency you have to remember the good ol’ days rather than look forward to what’s coming up next. The more you do that, the more those good ol’ days feel like they were the best years of your life. The future just doesn’t hold as much promise anymore. You find yourself slowing and coasting – trying to drag your feet to slow your entrance into the “hopeless years.” Well, if your belief is that the best years are behind you, you are certainly going to live into that.One of my heroes that helps me fight that thought tendency is Moses. If you divide his life into thirds, his best years were all at the end! The first and second thirds prepared him for the great task God gave him in the last third. I think an interesting biblical study would be to see who else would fit this model: Ruth, Samson, Elijah, King Manasseh, the disciples, Paul, etc. There are plenty of examples of people who kept moving forward into new expressions of serving the Lord.
The best years are NOT behind you if you keep looking forward to where God is leading you and join Him on that journey.
9. Re-evaluate Your Relationships
“Ministry would be great if it wasn’t for people”. How many times have you been at a pastor’s conference and heard that half-serious joke? Ministry is a lot about bringing people closer to God, and as long as people are involved in that task, the pastor will experience some level of frustration.Look, people can be draining – even for you extroverts! I’ve written – and will write more in the future – about getting alone to recharge your batteries. Even though people can be frustrating at times, working to help them grow to Christlikeness is what gives you such great satisfaction! So stick at it, making sure to recharge so you can be the best version of yourself.
However, there are people that you need to release from your life. Consider the number of co-workers the apostle Paul had, and the few times he released people because they were no longer healthy for him and the ministry God had called him to. Pastor, there is more than likely some people in your life that are a constant drain on your ministry passion, sometimes even colleagues. I encourage you to look at this next graphic and consider whether you are investing your energy in relationships that carry these qualities.
One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Romans 12:18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. I love the first part of that verse. It’s NOT possible to live peaceably with all; some people just don’t want to enter that kind of relationship. They enjoy keeping you off balance, manipulating you, talking behind your back, undermining you, etc. Those relationships will suck the life out of you. Release yourself from them! When you do, you will find how much they were negatively impacting your passion for ministry, and you will be well on your way to rekindling that same passion.
Which of these three do you need to implement first and right now? Pastor, you have a great work to do. Rekindle your ministry passion and re-join the Lord in reaching your community for Him.
12 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Ministry (part 2)
21/05/20
Using this scale: 1: “It couldn’t be any worse” or 10: “It really can’t get any better” – how would you assess these three rekindling activities:
__ I am relaxed in my humanity. While I am always journeying toward greater Christlikeness, I am not placing unrealistic expectations on myself in that journey.
__ I have revisited my calling. I spent time thinking about and reconnecting with what drew my passion for ministry in the first place.
__ I am renewing my soul. I am spending time with the Lord in the Word and in prayer. I am also connecting with Him in ways that are congruent with how I am designed.
Once you have scaled yourself on these three activities, ask yourself how you would know you had moved a point higher. What would be different in you? What would you notice that tells you that you have shifted? What would others notice? Then think about how you can implement changes that move you in that direction.
Now on to three more rekindling activities:
4. Reorganise your Schedule
While we are slowly creeping back to what looks familiar, now is the time to ask yourself what your new normal will look like. What priorities shifts have you made in the last two months? What have you found is not as important as you once thought it was? What have you been doing differently that you have found to be nourishing for your soul?I invite you to thoughtfully consider what Eugene Peterson wrote in The Contemplative Pastor:
“…the word busy is the symptom not of commitment but of betrayal. It is not devotion but defection. The adjective busy set as a modifier to pastor should sound to our ears like adulterous to characterize a wife or embezzling to describe a banker. It is an outrageous scandal, a blasphemous affront.”
5. Rediscover your Strengths
Gift Projection. It’s a term I first came across in Bible College. It happens when we read about or see one of the “heroes” who has accomplished great things for God in mighty ways. We then decide we want to be the same and try to accomplish what they did…only without their giftings. Frustration ensues, so we try harder. As we try harder…and remain unsuccessful…passion for ministry wanes.God has wired you to serve the way He wants you to serve Him. You have gifts, strengths, and experiences that are unique to you. Walk in those Holy Spirit-given, God-empowered gifts! Be who God made you to be.
When I turned 40, I became comfortable with who I am. When I turned 50, I became comfortable with who I am not. The second understanding was far more powerful than the first. You don’t have to wait until your 40s and 50s to get to these places. It just took me that long to hear what God had been saying all along. Rediscover who God made you to be and minister from that place rather than someone else’s.
6. Remember God’s Promises
A waning passion for ministry often comes when difficulties seem insurmountable, or when you can’t see the next step forward, or when it seems like nothing is working, or… The answer for all of this is to remember these words: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). In that promise of God’s constant presence, remember all the other promises God has made and that you have appropriated. Reminding yourself that you are not in the ministry by yourself – even when it might feel like it – and that God is always with you, empowering you, guiding you, blessing you, and using you for His glory is a great way of rekindling your ministry passion.So, more for you to consider. Sitting around hoping your passion for ministry just shows up again seldom works. Actually, I don’t know that it ever works! But taking these steps can begin to move you toward rekindling your ministry passion.
12 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Ministry (part 1)
11/05/20
What an interesting time we live in right now. Who could have imagined that 2020 was going to look like this? How many churches started this year with a version of “2020 Vision” as their theme for the year? 
How many of them are completely having to revamp the way that vision looks and how they intended for it to be accomplished?
I’ve heard pastors say the different levels of lockdown they and their churches have been placed under have been good for them personally. I’ve heard pastors say lockdown has relieved some pressures but brought up new ones. I’ve heard pastors say they were initially recharged in their ministry passion but are finding that passion waning as the Covid-19 lifestyle drags on.
It is that last sentence that I’m most concerned with. In the next four blog posts I want to make twelve suggestions for you to consider in rekindling your passion for ministry.
One of my favourite verses is found in Psalm 103 – a great Psalm about God’s undying mercy and grace. Verse 14 hold great encouragement for me:
“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Read that Psalm and allow yourself to remove the “shoulds” and “musts” that demand perfection of you. Take notice of how God’s unchangeableness steps into our weakness as humans and brings patience, healing, mercy, and grace. If God can do that for us, can we not do that for ourselves as well?
In his book, Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas lists nine ways Christians relate to God. I would encourage you to get and read this book. It will give you some great encouragement and guidance in helping you live in the reality of relating to the Lord. When you are experiencing this reality, you will find your passion for walking with Him in ministry rekindled.
That’s it for now. Can I ask you to assess yourself on a scale of 1-5 in these three suggestions? One being, “I couldn’t be in a worse situation” and five being, “All good with this one.” Once you’ve assessed yourself, take some necessary actions to move up the scale.
I’ve heard pastors say the different levels of lockdown they and their churches have been placed under have been good for them personally. I’ve heard pastors say lockdown has relieved some pressures but brought up new ones. I’ve heard pastors say they were initially recharged in their ministry passion but are finding that passion waning as the Covid-19 lifestyle drags on.
It is that last sentence that I’m most concerned with. In the next four blog posts I want to make twelve suggestions for you to consider in rekindling your passion for ministry.
1. Relax in your own Humanity
Ministry passion has a wide variety of expectations and experiences associated with it. There are many influences that are brought into the discussion: theological bent, age of the pastor, size of the church, spiritual gifting, personality type, family structure, church expectations…the list could go on. The one constant I have found around ministry passion is that there is no constant. To say that ministry passion should never wane puts an unwarranted pressure on pastors as they navigate what each day brings.One of my favourite verses is found in Psalm 103 – a great Psalm about God’s undying mercy and grace. Verse 14 hold great encouragement for me:
2. Revisit your Calling
Do you remember the chain of events that led you into ministry? Was it the Holy Spirit applying a biblical passage? Was it the great need you saw around you? Was it the desire to do something of eternal significance? As great as ministry can be, sometimes the day-to-day busyness can cloud your vision of what you are trying to accomplish. In those times, it is helpful to step back and remind yourself why you got into ministry in the first place. Reconnect with it, reimagine it. Let those first images of stepping into ministry come back into focus.3. Renew your Soul
Many might think this goes without saying, but I have found pastors so need to be reminded of this! Renewing your soul comes as you spend time with the Lord. I’d like to take this a step beyond the necessary and common practice of reading the Word and praying. Some pastors find that those two disciplines feel just like that – disciplines. While they are necessary for spiritual growth, some pastors find they are still missing what feels like real relationship connection. That’s not because Bible reading and prayer don’t work. Neither is it because you are broken in some irreparable way. It may just be that you need to connect with God in ways that are congruent with how you relate to others.In his book, Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas lists nine ways Christians relate to God. I would encourage you to get and read this book. It will give you some great encouragement and guidance in helping you live in the reality of relating to the Lord. When you are experiencing this reality, you will find your passion for walking with Him in ministry rekindled.
That’s it for now. Can I ask you to assess yourself on a scale of 1-5 in these three suggestions? One being, “I couldn’t be in a worse situation” and five being, “All good with this one.” Once you’ve assessed yourself, take some necessary actions to move up the scale.
Church Pastors and Depression
16/03/19
Pastor, I encourage you to read this excellent article listing five reasons pastors struggle with depression. And especially read and re-read this sentence... "If you are a pastor reading this post and you are struggling with depression, please get help."
In my work with pastors - and looking at the times I've struggled along this line - I would add four more to his list.
1. High expectations. We all know congregations can sometimes have expectations no one can meet. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the expectations pastors place upon themselves. "I should have my act together by now." "I shouldn't still be struggling with this sin." "I should be more like Jesus in every area." "I should be out on visitation right now." "I should be growing the church." And the list of shoulds and shouldn'ts continue. Can I invite you to exchange that word, should, for this phrase: "I would like to..." Now go back and re-read those statements above but substitute "I would like to" for "should." What is the impact on you when you do that? For some reason, that word, should, carries a huge baggage of shame with it. Changing the wording may give you some relief.
2. Isolation. Perhaps you were taught about the pastoral role
that you can't have close friends in ministry. Perhaps you were taught that applying the instruction Paul gave to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 means you need to hide when you aren't living up to what you assume is a good example. The problem is that this teaching leads to isolation. I used to think that was a good thing. "All I need is God." Sounds so strong, doesn't it? Yet, compare that to Genesis 2:18. It is not good that man should be alone. Before sin…BEFORE sin…God designed us to need other humans. Pastor, when you hide behind your ministry masks, you isolate yourself from human connection. I'm not saying to let it all hang out on Sunday morning (the people DO need to see Jesus), but I do strongly encourage you to find someone OUTSIDE of your church you can be completely honest with. One of the strongest compounders of depression is feeling like you're in this all by yourself. You're not! Share your struggles with someone who can support you!
3. Distractions. Pastors enter ministry with a goal - a passion - a focus - a purpose. Whatever you want to call it, you know what it is you want to do. However, the stuff of day-to-day ministry and general life gets louder and louder as you go. You get to the point where you are looking longingly at the ministry activities you want to be doing, but you have to look past a host of distractions that are clamouring for your attention. And the further you get pushed away from your passion, the stronger the magnet of depression becomes. So take a look at all those "responsibilities." Do they really HAVE to be done? Do you really need to spend half an hour finding just the right font for your handout? Do you really have to answer all those emails? Do you really have to…? (You know what distractions you need to get honest about.) And if the answer is YES, then ask yourself if there someone else who can take care of those administrative-ish, non-pastoral tasks? You have a life calling and passion. The more you can be doing that, the weaker depression's grip becomes.
4. Lack of Appreciation. Now, this is for any non-pastors that may be reading this in order to try and figure out what is going on with your pastor. Your pastor is not doing what he does so that he will have the praise of men and women. He is doing what he is doing because he loves God and he loves people and he wants to connect the two. That's hard work!!! Not every person, even the committed faithful in church, necessarily want to be connected to God in a real way. Yet pastors carry on this eternally valuable work! Have you ever thanked your pastor for that? "Well, I tell him I enjoy the sermon every Sunday." OK, thanks for that, but what else are you supposed to say on the way out of church? "Pastor, that one really sucked!" Please don't! But seriously, "I enjoyed the sermon" carries about as much weight as "Fine" when you are asked "How ya doing?" It's just the thing you say. So, church parishioner, when is the last time you wrote a note to your pastor thanking him for being a pastor? For being YOUR pastor? When is the last time you showed him in some tangible way that you appreciate him for more than just keeping you awake on Sunday mornings? Believe me, pastors hear plenty of criticisms. They really could use some encouragement from time to time!
So Pastor, you carry a HIGH calling with eternally significant impact! Yes, it gets very lonely, very sad, very discouraging at times. I'm not going to end this with a Bible verse pill or a nicely worded quip designed to fix everything. I just want to acknowledge that what you do is hard sometimes! And that you find it that way does not make you a failure, it makes you human.
So, please heed the advice from the article I linked to above: "If you are a pastor reading this post and you are struggling with depression, please get help."
In my work with pastors - and looking at the times I've struggled along this line - I would add four more to his list.
1. High expectations. We all know congregations can sometimes have expectations no one can meet. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the expectations pastors place upon themselves. "I should have my act together by now." "I shouldn't still be struggling with this sin." "I should be more like Jesus in every area." "I should be out on visitation right now." "I should be growing the church." And the list of shoulds and shouldn'ts continue. Can I invite you to exchange that word, should, for this phrase: "I would like to..." Now go back and re-read those statements above but substitute "I would like to" for "should." What is the impact on you when you do that? For some reason, that word, should, carries a huge baggage of shame with it. Changing the wording may give you some relief.
2. Isolation. Perhaps you were taught about the pastoral role
3. Distractions. Pastors enter ministry with a goal - a passion - a focus - a purpose. Whatever you want to call it, you know what it is you want to do. However, the stuff of day-to-day ministry and general life gets louder and louder as you go. You get to the point where you are looking longingly at the ministry activities you want to be doing, but you have to look past a host of distractions that are clamouring for your attention. And the further you get pushed away from your passion, the stronger the magnet of depression becomes. So take a look at all those "responsibilities." Do they really HAVE to be done? Do you really need to spend half an hour finding just the right font for your handout? Do you really have to answer all those emails? Do you really have to…? (You know what distractions you need to get honest about.) And if the answer is YES, then ask yourself if there someone else who can take care of those administrative-ish, non-pastoral tasks? You have a life calling and passion. The more you can be doing that, the weaker depression's grip becomes.
4. Lack of Appreciation. Now, this is for any non-pastors that may be reading this in order to try and figure out what is going on with your pastor. Your pastor is not doing what he does so that he will have the praise of men and women. He is doing what he is doing because he loves God and he loves people and he wants to connect the two. That's hard work!!! Not every person, even the committed faithful in church, necessarily want to be connected to God in a real way. Yet pastors carry on this eternally valuable work! Have you ever thanked your pastor for that? "Well, I tell him I enjoy the sermon every Sunday." OK, thanks for that, but what else are you supposed to say on the way out of church? "Pastor, that one really sucked!" Please don't! But seriously, "I enjoyed the sermon" carries about as much weight as "Fine" when you are asked "How ya doing?" It's just the thing you say. So, church parishioner, when is the last time you wrote a note to your pastor thanking him for being a pastor? For being YOUR pastor? When is the last time you showed him in some tangible way that you appreciate him for more than just keeping you awake on Sunday mornings? Believe me, pastors hear plenty of criticisms. They really could use some encouragement from time to time!
So Pastor, you carry a HIGH calling with eternally significant impact! Yes, it gets very lonely, very sad, very discouraging at times. I'm not going to end this with a Bible verse pill or a nicely worded quip designed to fix everything. I just want to acknowledge that what you do is hard sometimes! And that you find it that way does not make you a failure, it makes you human.
So, please heed the advice from the article I linked to above: "If you are a pastor reading this post and you are struggling with depression, please get help."
You, Pastor, are a valuable part of God's work on this earth.
Nourishing Your Soul
13/11/18
I remember the first time I had to wear a cast. I had broken fingers due to a soccer mishap when I was 11 years old. (Note: when you are the goalie, do NOT try to pick up the ball at the same time one of your fullbacks is kicking it!) I wore a cast up to my elbow for six weeks. It was still the hot part of the year. I was active. And sweaty. Very sweaty for an 11-year old. The inevitable itch-in-the-middle-of-the-cast developed. Have you ever had an itch you just couldn’t get to at all? Misery.
That’s the memory that was invoked when I read this
meme. Have you ever been tired in your soul - that deepest part of who you are? You can sleep all you want, but your soul still feels heavy, tired, and unenergised.
How do you recharge your soul?
Can I suggest four activities that can help answer that question?
1. Strengthen your relationship with God. Because God made the soul, He best knows how to recharge it. We live in such a small world these days with so many voices shouting their opinions. One of the consequences of that is massive distraction from what is really important. And this is one of those really important matters. I find that even church leaders can grow cold in a daily walk with God. God is seen more of a CEO they report to a few times a week, rather than Someone who has invited them to know Him on a personal basis. If you’re trying to recharge your soul without doing anything about your relationship with God, well, you might wanna rethink that!
2. Strengthen your relationship with others. I have a few friends who, when I spend time with them, absolutely recharge my soul. They get a good look at me, my strengths, my weaknesses, my dreams, my disappointments, my victories, and my defeats…and they share all that with me without judgement, unasked-for advice, or rejection. Do you have someone in your life you can bear everything to and know they will love and accept you regardless? These kinds of friends are priceless, and those friendships need to be protected with everything you have. If you don’t have that kind of friend, be assured there are others looking for you…because they don’t have that kind of friend either. Explore the friendships you have; see if you can nurture some of them into soul-nourishing relationships.
3. Do self-care…really. Self-care is the buzzword of the 2000s. Some like to write it off by complaining that our generation has become a bunch of softies who would never be able to stand the rigors of past generations. That may be so for some, but take a look at the environment in which this generation lives. When do we EVER switch off? When do we get to disconnect from the expectations, responsibilities, and busyness of our lives? One of my favourite moments from the Andy Griffith show is when Andy and Barney are sitting on Andy’s porch. They have a five minute conversation that goes something like this: B: “You know what I’m going to do?” (Long pause) A: “No, what?” (Long pause) B: “I’m gonna go down to the fillin’ station and get me a bottle of pop.” (Long pause) B: “Ye-e-e-e-p, I’m gonna go down to the fillin’ station and get me a bottle of pop.” (Long pause) A: “Yep. Sounds good.” (very long pause). B: “Ye-e-e-e-p, I’m gonna go down to the fillin’ station and get me a bottle of pop.” And then the conversation starts all over again. I don’t know if Barney ever did go get that bottle of pop, but you know what they were doing? Self-care! When is the last time you sat quietly for any length of time and did NOTHING? When is the last time you disconnected from your responsibility and expectations? Even if you’re an active relaxer, you still need to disconnect so you can recharge your soul.
4. Build your knowledge. I have found that if I’m not learning, my soul gets weary. I think we are built with an intrinsic desire to learn. There is something soul-nourishing about growing our understanding of something in this world. So whether it be learning a new skill, joining a book club, reading about history, or any of the myriad of methods of growing knowledge, this is a vital tool in nourishing your soul. When is the last time you learned something because YOU initiated the learning? I’m not talking about having to learn something for school or a job, but because it interested you. Pick up a book, take a class, learn something. It will bring back energy to your soul.
So there you have it, four ways of scratching an itch that sleep can’t reach. Re-energising your soul.
That’s the memory that was invoked when I read this
How do you recharge your soul?
Can I suggest four activities that can help answer that question?
1. Strengthen your relationship with God. Because God made the soul, He best knows how to recharge it. We live in such a small world these days with so many voices shouting their opinions. One of the consequences of that is massive distraction from what is really important. And this is one of those really important matters. I find that even church leaders can grow cold in a daily walk with God. God is seen more of a CEO they report to a few times a week, rather than Someone who has invited them to know Him on a personal basis. If you’re trying to recharge your soul without doing anything about your relationship with God, well, you might wanna rethink that!
2. Strengthen your relationship with others. I have a few friends who, when I spend time with them, absolutely recharge my soul. They get a good look at me, my strengths, my weaknesses, my dreams, my disappointments, my victories, and my defeats…and they share all that with me without judgement, unasked-for advice, or rejection. Do you have someone in your life you can bear everything to and know they will love and accept you regardless? These kinds of friends are priceless, and those friendships need to be protected with everything you have. If you don’t have that kind of friend, be assured there are others looking for you…because they don’t have that kind of friend either. Explore the friendships you have; see if you can nurture some of them into soul-nourishing relationships.
3. Do self-care…really. Self-care is the buzzword of the 2000s. Some like to write it off by complaining that our generation has become a bunch of softies who would never be able to stand the rigors of past generations. That may be so for some, but take a look at the environment in which this generation lives. When do we EVER switch off? When do we get to disconnect from the expectations, responsibilities, and busyness of our lives? One of my favourite moments from the Andy Griffith show is when Andy and Barney are sitting on Andy’s porch. They have a five minute conversation that goes something like this: B: “You know what I’m going to do?” (Long pause) A: “No, what?” (Long pause) B: “I’m gonna go down to the fillin’ station and get me a bottle of pop.” (Long pause) B: “Ye-e-e-e-p, I’m gonna go down to the fillin’ station and get me a bottle of pop.” (Long pause) A: “Yep. Sounds good.” (very long pause). B: “Ye-e-e-e-p, I’m gonna go down to the fillin’ station and get me a bottle of pop.” And then the conversation starts all over again. I don’t know if Barney ever did go get that bottle of pop, but you know what they were doing? Self-care! When is the last time you sat quietly for any length of time and did NOTHING? When is the last time you disconnected from your responsibility and expectations? Even if you’re an active relaxer, you still need to disconnect so you can recharge your soul.
4. Build your knowledge. I have found that if I’m not learning, my soul gets weary. I think we are built with an intrinsic desire to learn. There is something soul-nourishing about growing our understanding of something in this world. So whether it be learning a new skill, joining a book club, reading about history, or any of the myriad of methods of growing knowledge, this is a vital tool in nourishing your soul. When is the last time you learned something because YOU initiated the learning? I’m not talking about having to learn something for school or a job, but because it interested you. Pick up a book, take a class, learn something. It will bring back energy to your soul.
So there you have it, four ways of scratching an itch that sleep can’t reach. Re-energising your soul.