Stayin' alive...

You gotta keep on keepin' on. There are times in your ministry when you want to quit. And if you don't, then maybe your aren't pushing yourself enough. There are times when the peeps are gonna get under your skin and you will want to pull all your hair out because the madness gets crazy. Times when your supervisor does not understand you. Times when your senior pastor does not understand you. Times when you feel you are the only one who “gets it.” And much of the time you are going to be right. Just remember that no one can get into that little brain of yours. They do not see things the way you do – and a lot of the time that is prolly a good thing.

Remember the way that Paul did ministry. He was running on all cylinders most of the time. And the reason that I like him so much is that he never let anything get in the way of his ministry that could not be overcome. As soon as you let yourself get a bad a attitude you are toast! You gotta roll with the punches. Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be broken.

Your superiors are not perfect. I know that because one day you will be a superior and you are not perfect. You see things only the way you can see them. And your effectiveness in ministry will depend on your empathy and willing to enter into the minds of those with whom you work. Here is a nickel's worth of free advice. You need to always remember to smile. Must I continue to remind us that we have the best job in the world. We get paid to chill with students and put into the lives of peeps who love students. You have it made... so smile! Don't be the guy or girl who is always out to prove that you are right and everyone needs to do stuff like you.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

~B. Franklin

You gotta hang in there – stuff will happen and you will make a difference. You will feel sometimes that the peeps that ultimately run your ministry, you know – the peeps that tell you whether you can do stuff or not, have more than just the youth to think about. There are tons of dollars coming into and going out of your church. You are just a small piece of the bigger puzzle. And I do not mean that you are less or more important. But there is a lot more than just you. And in the beginning of my ministry I took lots of stuff personal. When my superiors would shoot down one of my brilliant ideas I was convinced that they were the dumbest people in the world. But as I grew older and more mature in my ministry I understood that they were there to do the same thing I was – to change lives.

So, don't roll over and be weak. Stand your ground. But remember to major on the major and minor on the minors. If you remember this it will serve you well. I know you have big ideas and that the world will be better for it in the long run. But if you wanna make it that far you are going to learn how to play the game. Believe in your ministry. Believe in your superiors. The early years are the time for you to learn and be shaped. Use them to your advantage and one day you will get to be the one that everyone thinks is crazy.