don ’ t care for them the way that we should . “ You can ’ t pour from an empty cup .” More like , “ You can ’ t run a marathon in busted up shoes .”
As people who share the gospel , it ’ s our responsibility to make sure we are capable of communicating the gospel as effectively as possible . A big part of that , perhaps the biggest , is making sure that we are mentally , spiritually , and physically nourished . I believe this is simultaneously one of the most important aspects of ministry as well as one of the most commonly neglected practices . Logically , it ’ s easy to think we need to go , go , go , go give , give , give , give , don ’ t stop , push through . Sometimes in ministry , we can even trick ourselves into thinking we ’ re nourishing ourselves , when in reality we might be creating more work with planning a retreat , planning a study , or simply putting more pressure on ourselves to be nourished . The irony of getting anxious and frustrated because you ’ re not “ refilling effectively enough ” is out of this world , but I think it subconsciously happens often .
A huge part of making sure we ’ re in good shape to share the gospel to be best of our ability is developing rhythms and patters in our daily and weekly schedule . Making space to achieve the logistical tasks we need to do while also holding time for personal enrichment . It means really looking inward to find what fills us up and what drains us . Personally , I love being engaged with people in conversation and activities , but I ’ ve also learned that I need to take time for myself to refill afterwards . That doesn ’ t mean I don ’ t love being extroverted ; it just means that I need to be aware enough to not burn myself out without taking time to recharge .
Part of this rhythm also includes using the right tools for the right job , and not overworking when there are solutions that can make your processes easier . It is just as effective ( if not more ) to use charts and tracks that are already formatted and correct as opposed to making them on my own , and it ’ s certainly more efficient . The same goes for creating lyric slides . It saves physical and mental energy to have resources that work together , so you know what to expect and you don ’ t need to worry about details for which solutions already exist . They become a part of your rhythm , your pattern , your foundation in your processes .
“ Should an emergency situation occur , you need to put on your own oxygen mask on first ,