I met with a young man sometime ago. It was shortly after his graduate program on campus. He had served and led in the Christian Campus Fellowship while in school. But his lamentation was that he felt empty. He revealed he had not really grown. He was only busy with Fellowship (church) without experiencing real growth.
Friend, balancing ministry or life activities with your personal growth is a critical lesson to learn if you would last. Especially at these crucial times, priority must be placed on your personal growth like never before (1 Timothy 4:12-16). You must tap into divine wisdom to balance activities with personal growth and productivity.
You must beware of the deception of busyness. Most times, there is a pseudo feeling of fulfilment you have when you are busy. But you are not truly fulfilled unless you are getting better in your walk with God and in vital areas of your life (Acts 6:2, 4). Whatever you think you are doing or achieving now is only at the mercy of your growth. If you are not careful, they would crumble with time.
But how do you balance activities with personal growth? How do you ensure that you are not dying inside while you are blessing others outside? How do you prioritize your personal health above all else (1 Corinthians 9:27)? It all begins with your perspective. Yes, the way you see life will determine how you pursue the same. I have always told myself that I am not doing well unless I am doing well with God (Revelation 3:1). This has helped me greatly.
Learn to lead from abundance, not from scarcity or emptiness. Don’t give what you don’t have (Acts 3:6, 19:15). Don’t attempt to bless others while you are bleeding. Ministry is not performance. It is an outflow of life. It is from inside-out. When you study the Bible, study to know, understand, and practise. Don’t study to teach or preach. If you feed well, you will preach well.
Create time for yourself. It’s amazing how we create time for others while neglecting ourselves (SoS 1:6). We create time for customers, friends, church members, boss, etc. But we cheat on ourselves. We watch ourselves starve and tire out while going all the way for others (Mark 6:31). Don’t let people squeeze and dump you like they would an orange. Be wise.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria