I think the real question here is how to develop a vibrant life—a vibrant “with-God” life. That, it seems, is the only life we actually have. So what helps us develop a life increasingly marked by energy, strength, sensitivity to the Spirit’s promptings, and reckless abandon to God’s ways? Here are four strategies that have been very helpful to me:
- Get enough sleep. Even Jesus’ closest friends struggled to pay attention when fatigued. Your body matters; give it what God designed it to need. Here’s an experiment: give yourself ample sleep for just four days and reassess your sense of connection with God. What do you observe?
- Get up on the right side of the bed. Often the demands of ministry cause us to wake up stressed or panicked before our feet even hit the floor—not to mention those waking mid-night hours! Pray through Psalm 23 before getting up in the morning. Memorize it so you don’t have to read (you probably know almost all of it already), and use each stanza as a springboard for prayer as you anticipate the day to come.
- Get hungry. Fasting is a terrific way to express fully your desire for increased connection with God. A weekly rhythm of fasting can especially help you develop a keen awareness of your dependency upon God, your desire for God’s activity in and around you, and even the sacred nature of the work to which God has called you. I’ve noticed that because fasting doesn’t take “time”, it can particularly help me stay connected to God on those days when ministry challenges are most demanding.
- Get clarity on what’s driving your “busy” schedule. If you’re so busy with ministry that your spiritual vitality is suffering, then you have to face that fact and do something about it, or bear the utterly predictable consequences. This will undoubtedly take lots of time for reflection, prayer, and perhaps feedback from a trusted friend. If God is inviting you into a faster pace, as undoubtedly does happen, you may be in a season where you need to experiment and even renegotiate what practices, relationships, and rhythms will be needed to undergird you during this season. Never lose sight of the fact that this equilibrium will need to be restored in order for you to fulfill this new assignment. That being said, far too many “busy” church leaders function in overdrive for reasons other than God’s clear call, which puts everything and everyone in jeopardy. Know what God has called you to and give yourself to it fully. Beyond that, if you’ve said “yes” to something other than God, call it what it is: sin. And learn to walk away. ‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be free.
