What Is Most Important?

My pastor has a phrase that he uses all the time: "What is most important? Whatever it is time to do right now."

I have taken that phrase to heart the past few weeks. What was most important the past few weeks? School and Youth ministry. We had a huge trip coming up that I had to nail down the finishing touches on and get a few midterms out of the way in school. Im sure you all understand.

But what was cool was that while I hated not writing on this blog, I was realizing that I was leading by example and that I would eventually get to write about it.

If you are planning things, or volunteering for things, or working a job, etc...you must continually ask yourself what is the most important thing at this moment? (Obviously you can't say bump a paying job so you can learn to knit for an upcoming small group) Whatever it is time to do at that moment is most important. When you treat what you are doing in that moment as total importance your work ethic, ministry, job becomes more successful because of the attitude of importance you are using.

So what is most important right now? What other "thing" can you put on hold for a moment so you can use your best work?

peace be the journey.
///tres

God's Plan.

Today our guest post is from a great friend of mine named Jared Waldrop. He is the student pastor of Westmore Church of God in Cleveland, TN. Find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter: @jaredwaldrop.

Jeremiah 33:3
"...Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know..."

Ever get to that point where you feel like your creativity and innovation is just tapped out? Ever feel like the well is dried up for fresh ideas for ministry? Ever hit a wall when it came to the next step in planning and vision casting, etc...? 

There comes a point when you’ve exhausted all of your resources and creativity.  You’ve gleaned from everyone else around you.  You’ve been to all the trendy conferences.  You’ve read all the books, checked all the blogs & ministry sites, and used the latest teaching material…  I found myself there a few years ago.  I had done everything I knew to do and just felt like my creativity was tapped.  I was unsettled.  Our youth ministry was not as effective as I knew it could be – and it was driving me crazy.

Then I came across Jeremiah 33:3… a verse I had always known, but never truly taken to heart.  It hit me like a ton of bricks: I had been doing ministry my way… not God’s way.  I was trying to run a student ministry from my limited resources and perspective instead of consulting a limitless God – the greatest resource of all.  I was doing the best I knew to do – instead of asking God to show me His specific plan for our student ministry.  

The “great and unsearchable things” began to show up in ministry doors opening that I had not seen before, strategic partnerships to make ministry easier and more effective, a renewed passion and burden that focused my ministry efforts… Everything changed.  The nagging “where do we go from here” feeling in the pit of my soul was replaced with a kingdom confidence as I released my plans to take on His.  

God has a specific plan for you and your ministry - one that will fit your context, your students, your city… and it may be very different from the ministry down the road.  Don’t get trapped trying to reproduce what you see at the latest conference or read about in the latest book.  Those things are GREAT to glean from – but above all, consult God’s plan for your ministry.

Let this verse change your perspective.

We serve a God of unlimited resources. He will show you the next steps, birth new creative things in your heart, show you how to do ministry the best way possible where He has placed you... just ask.

Humility.

As a leader you must stay humble. It is very easy to get big headed the more successful you become. 

When you have a successful role in leadership (and you will by reading this blog) (sarcasm) you can become even more of an impact by simply admitting that you did not do it by yourself. A lot of times leaders think they have gotten to where they are based completely on their work efforts and so forth (they did work hard don't get me wrong) but they leave out how God has blessed them, how He gave them wisdom, how someone else gave them an opportunity to lead, and how others helped lead.

The best leaders never lead by themselves...never. So when your ministry or business or church makes an impact, don't forget the God that supplied and the people that helped. The downfall will happen just as fast if you take all the credit.

Who is helping you lead? Have you thanked them? Have you thanked God?

peace be the journey.

///tres