One night after one of my typical, eighteen-hour days of ministry, as we were retiring to bed, my wife announced to me in a calm yet firm voice, "I've decided to go home to my mother."

I began to panic as I saw my relationship disintegrating, along with the ministry I had worked so hard to develop. As we prayed and cried and talked, what came out was my gross insensitivity to my wife. I had fallen into an overcommitted life. As our ministry in the inner city of Chicago had taken off, I had found myself pulled in a thousand directions. Without my realizing it, the stress on my relationship with Cynthia had risen to a danger point.

Thank God, Cynthia didn't leave. However, the pain of that near tragedy, and God's continual work in my life since, have given me five core commitments that have saved not only my marriage but my ministry as well.

COMMITMENT 1: A mission statement

I cannot do everything. What few things can and must I do?

I committed to writing a personal mission statement. In his ...