Know your limits

It is no surprise that god has directed me today to one of my favourite characters in scripture - Elijah - and to one of the lowest points in his life.

Having defeated and beaten the prophets of Baal he is threatened by Jezebel basically saying 'I'm coming to get you'. He runs and eventually collapses. He is, in today's words, 'burned out'.

Although I am a long way from being burned out I am in the midst of a very busy season of ministry with little time just to 'be me', the next day that I can really call a day off is some time away and there are numerous public events within this season which, although something that I love, are always more tiring than simply getting through lots of admin at my desk. When You am in the middle of a season like this if is very possible to lose site of two important truths:

You can do anything

You can't do everything

Seems contradictory but it isn't. It is biblical that we 'can do all things through Christ who strengthens me' (Phillipians 4:13) so we know and experience the power and provision of God to do the miraculous and mundane within his empowering and will.

John 15:4-6 explains that whole we are connected with Christ as the vine we are fed and supported and strengthened but without Him we can do nothing.

So my dilemma - and the dilemma of every Christ follower - is this: how do I stay connected to Christ in order to be all the things He wants me to be and do what He wants me to do?

I have developed a couple of simple rules for times like this - learned from people wiser than me as well as my own mistakes:

1: make the most of the moments. In a traffic queue that is going nowhere and you need to be everywhere turn the radio off, take some deep breaths and thank God for a sabbath moment. Or find a quiet place in your workplace or home turn off all the technology and just 'be' for a few minutes. The difference is amazing.

2: who is going to suffer? If some piece of work or ministry looks like it is not going to get done who will really suffer? If it's just your reputation that will be sullied maybe you're too busy because you want people to think highly of you. Probably if it does not get done no one will really notice! 

3: pray more. I find it very tempting to get up very early to do more work ( this is normally my time with God). There is a real temptation to leave prayer in order to catch up with prep (preparing to preach is about feeding others not the sole way of being fed yourself), or 'vital' admin. No! Spend more time in prayer and make the prayer thankful and joyful recognising God's provision and your place in His plan. Truly the joy of The Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)

4: walk somewhere. It just slows everything down and gives you thinking space and time.

So knowing my limits and ministering to them is important - it recognises God's investment of spiritual gifts in us. Ministering hard and well is crucial but so is resting.