7 Habits of Highly Effective People; The 12 steps; 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership; 10 Steps to a Perfect Retirement Portfolio....
Everyone has a program with the right number of steps to the outcome you desire. Some programs require the steps to be accomplished in sequence. Other programs give you the freedom to pick and choose the steps in your own order.
But to effectively meet needs and stay strong, there's one step that must be in place AT ALL TIMES. This step must be the first you take. It must also be the step you return to again and again. All other steps are subordinate to this one. It's central. It's key. What is it?
Step one: Maintaining a healthy, vibrant, dynamic, intimate relationship with God.
Without this relationship, your ministry will eventually suffer. You will eventually suffer. Your life will become unbalanced. Your calling will become a job - an obligation. Your passion will melt and give way to resentment. You will experience depression, burn-out, and oppression.
But WITH this relationship, your ministry will be fruitful. You will sense a peace, whether things are clicking along or not. You will sense the need to take needed breaks. You will be able to understand your successes and failures in the context of God's overall design. And even if you do become confused and tired, you will have a friend who holds your future and is more than capable of "...making all things work together for good..."
If you are meeting needs and reading this and your relationship with God is a 2 on a scale of 10 - consider taking some time away from your ministry to work on it. It's crucial to your marriage, your self care, your parenthood, and those whom you are called to help.
If you are an 8 on a scale of 10, I urge you to also take time away from the ministry grind and work on making it a 9. It's that important.
How do we maintain this kind of relationship with our Creator? Good question. Perhaps the topic of another post or one of your comments...
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