I think I had a revelation last week. It wasn't rocket science, but I did something pretty radical for me. Every day, I turned my computer off at 5:30...and I was done. I answered a few emails on my phone in the evening that needed a simple reply, but at 5:30, I was done. My wife was impressed. She's lived with me every second of starting a church, and that has not been the norm. In fact, I'm a driven perfectionist (which is not a good combo), so I'm constantly working to make things perfect. My office is in my house, so it's easy to work until the wee hours of the morning getting things perfect. And it finally hit me. This is going to kill me – literally. I thought to myself, “I'm going to have a stroke at 40.” And I really don't want to. So I turned my computer off. You know what? The sun still came up. Life still went on. And the church I lead is still trucking along. In fact, the crazy thing was that I was more productive than I've been in a really long time because there was not that thought in my head, “I'll finish that up after the kids go to bed.” No, it was “I've got to get this done by 5:30.”
You need to know a secret about your pastor (whoever that is). He or she probably works really hard. And the job they work really hard at is really stressful...if they love people. If you don't love people, ministry is the easiest job in the world. But, if you love people, it's extremely difficult, painful and stressful. You are motivated by a care and cause that most other people do not experience in their jobs. You are living out a calling that has lit your soul on fire. There has always been a feeling in me that I want to all I can to make sure that I'm living out that call to my fullest. My daddy put a strong work ethic in me, and I've carried that over to every area of my life, especially ministry.
Here's the thing, though. I want to be a pastor for a really long time. More importantly, I want to be a husband for a really long time (like, the rest of my life), and I want to be a daddy for the rest of my life. And I want that life to be long, and killing myself won't fix the greater Church or my local church. It might destroy my family and my health.
I'm a big UGA football fan, and we've got us a pretty special freshman running back named Todd Gurley. Fans are clammoring for him to get the ball more. Problem is, the saying about running backs is “they've only got so many carries in them.” Our coaches get it. They're being judicious about a young player because they want him to be a running back for a really long time. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I want to be a pastor for a really long time.
I promised myself that I would not let ministry (or life) make me bitter when I retire. I wouldn't be mad about all I let it take from me. I'm living it now. I won't let it. Moreover, here's what I know: this isn't exclusive to ministry. Anybody that's driven, a perfectionist, or has a high work ethic can fall trap to killing themselves in the pursuit of success or victory. When you get there, it won't be much fun then. I've got some advice for you: turn your computer off. Go play with your kids. Eat dinner with your family. Read a book in the evenings. Watch a T.V. Show. Go to bed early. Take a break. Success isn't attaining goals, it's being the best you. Then, the best you will get you where you want to be, and you'll be really happy when you get there.
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