A couple of years ago, I looked back and saw the path that I had begun to go down, and I didn’t like it. In 2005 I came off of the road full-time and came on staff at a church full-time. It was a pretty good transition, to be honest. I actually LOVE what I do. I consider myself blessed. Just a little background on me if you’re new: I continue to travel on a part-time basis, leading worship & speaking at conferences, retreats, and events; while also consulting w/ creative, programming, worship teams.

Anyone that works at a church full-time knows that we can tend to go, go, go, go, go… to the point of leaving ourselves and our families drained, worn, and burned out. This should NEVER happen, but it does. Many of my friends have eventually left ministry to find a more balanced and healthy family life. What??? This is jacked. Sometimes it’s okay to say “no”.

I find that we tend to not allow ourselves to “let off the gas” due to a performance expectation. Great leaders will do their part in observing those around them, to sense how balanced their work (ministry) and family (personal) lives are. If the proper attention is paid, it doesn’t take much to gauge how each other is doing. Obviously, finding balance is just one of many ways to prevent burn-out and as one, it’s a great first step toward a journey of health, passion, and peace.

Here’s hoping & challenging us to prioritize our lives. Pastors, if we’re burned and drained by our responsibilities at work or at home, we’re ineffective. It would be amazing if we were to able to see staff turn-overs slow down and stability restored in our ministries.

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