Its About You First

Its About You First

Justyn Smith reminds leaders to prioritize themselves in order to sustain their ministry for the long haul.

 

If the blind lead the blind both shall fall in the ditch. Jesus

If your church is like the average growing, making a difference church out there then youre probably moving at a fast-paced speed. Youve probably got leadership who are expecting big things from limited resources.

You know what Im talking about. The kind that say, Recession is an opportunity that allows us to be more creative with what we already have.

As I have gotten back from vacation, which someone corrected me saying that I had family time because when youre on vacation with five kids its not vacation, I began thinking about my health and how I can sustain what Im doing for the long haul. You see, I feel called to ministry and have a responsibility to God to manage my time and efforts so that I can make the biggest impact possible for as long as possible.

God spoke to me and said, Its okay to think about yourself. Its okay to look out for you. It seems like a selfish thing to do. What about those who need help? What about this project or that new ministry? As Im asking these questions airplanes came to my remembrance.

When you get on an airplane and the flight attendants starts their script about safety one of the things they mention is that YOU need to put on YOUR oxygen mask FIRST in the event the cabin loses air pressure BEFORE YOU help someone else. Why do they do this? Why not help the children, elderly or those in need first? Well, the answer is because if youre passed out or cant breathe then youre no good to anyone.

If youre not taking care of you (or leading you first), resting, keeping things in perspective and enjoying life then you will be no good to anyone and especially those you lead. This doesnt mean be lazy. It means prioritize, understand you cant be all things to all people, youre spouse and children come first, you cant fix everything, etc.

Go ahead, put on your mask first!

Justyn Smith is married to an amazing wife and is a father to five children. He is the children’s pastor at South Hills Church in Corona, CA and has a passion to help other childrens pastors become great leaders in their local church and ministry. He consults, writes, and is a frequent conference speaker. Justyn is the host of Celera Kidmin (click http://www.celeragroup.org/network-coaching/kidmin.aspx for more info) and has recently been named one of “Children’s Ministry Magazine’s” Top 20 to Watch. Twitter: pastorjustyn Facebook: facebook.com/pastorjustyn

visit Justyn at justynsmith.com