Staying on Track

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.  
(Mark 1:35-39 NIV)

There are certain things that Jesus teaches us about staying on track.  When I first started in ministry I was horrified by the number of pastors that were falling to financial failures or moral failures.  I made some strong commitments years ago to not get derailed due to moral failures.  Here are a few things I learn from the life of Jesus.

1) Lead yourself well.  The best gift you can give to your family and to your congregation is a healthy you.

2) Pace yourself.  You do not have to conquer everything tomorrow.  I tell churches all the time that are trying to change - you eat an elephant one bite at a time, otherwise, it's overwhelming!  Pastors want their churches to grow fast, worship to be better next Sunday, leaders to be trained yesterday.  I learned while pastoring Shorewood, "if I wasn't happy with 50 people in church, I wouldn't be happy with 200."

3) Dating your wife is cheaper than divorce.  Lisa and I have a whole lot of mountains and difficult times over the almost 30 years we've been married.  The things that have kept us in love is keeping the flame burning.  We still date. We still laugh together.  We still pray together.  The best news that I can share each day is that Jesus loves me and my wife still likes me.  Take care of your marriage.

4) Love people more than the crowd. I know individuals that love the crowd.  They love being upfront.  They love the title "Pastor" or whatever... but they are alone.  Develop relationships in the church.  Will you be hurt?  Yes.  It won't always work out the best but it's worth it.  I do not regret developing friends.

5) Define what a 'win' looks like for you?  If you don't define the target, you will never know if you hit it.  What is the target each Sunday morning for you?  What is the target at the end of each season for you?  Define what a win looks like for you.  Celebrate when you win and don't move the target too soon.

6) Avoid isolation.  It's not good for man (or woman) to be alone.  Live your life among others.