Friday, October 6, 2017

NO!

October 6, 2017

It’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Ice cream occasionally is nice, but a steady diet of it would not be good. Exercise is good, but there are those who are so body conscious that they have little time for anything else. The same can be said of eating and dieting, making money and leisure. The adage “all things in moderation” is not far off the mark. We humans have a propensity for imbalance that often threatens our own well-being.

Linda and I had a conversation about this earlier today. The challenge I’ve taken on to help lead the Dunkirk church has stirred something within me that is good unless it goes unchecked. I learned a long time ago that church work can take over the pastor’s life. There is always more that could be done than is being done, and the temptation is to tackle whatever lies before us, irrespective of whether or not it is a necessary task. Bill Hybels, pastor of the Willow Creek church, one of the first national megachurches, said to pastors, “Be careful that you don’t let the work of Christ destroy the work of Christ in you.” He knows wherein he speaks; a high energy person himself, he admits to having danced on the edge of disaster by not taking the time he needed to feed his own soul.


I can see much that needs to be done, and it gets the blood flowing. I want to do more, but I know that if I bite off too much, instead of chewing, I’ll be choking. The only way I can spend more time with my Dunkirk family is by letting go of some responsibilities I have elsewhere. It’s not easy saying ‘no,’ but as my friend Willie says, “We need to learn the power of ‘No.’” So tonight I am thankful for the wisdom of years under my belt, a wife who senses before I do when I’m reaching my limits, and for faithful Christians who instruct me with their wisdom. It’s not easy, but I’m learning to say, “NO!” It’s the only way I can say, “yes” to what’s most important.

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