By Carey Nieuwhof: I’m guessing you probably feel busier than ever.

Almost every leader I talk to does.

Dealing with an overwhelming, never-ending list of responsibilities was a problem long before the global disruption of 2020-2021. The disruption made it even more complicated and intense.

The pandemic introduced a strange paradox into our lives. As Adam Grant points out in this widely-circulated article, the pandemic gave us more time as the world shut down, but left us feeling overwhelmed, dealing with grief and this feeling he identifies as ‘languishing’.

Often I find if I can identify why I’m feeling a certain way, it can help alleviate the problem.

After all, it’s hard to solve a problem you don’t understand.

Naming a problem is the first step toward fixing it.

So, here’s the question: why do you feel so busy?

Here are some non-obvious reasons.

It’s hard to solve a problem you don’t understand.

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1.  The Crisis Destroyed Your Methods 

The first thing to die in a crisis is your methods. The mission continues, but the methods got destroyed.

You couldn’t open for in-person gatherings.
Suddenly you’re leading a remote team.
You’re not just a parent, you’re now a teacher.
Live events suddenly became a thing of the past.

And even as things reopen, it’s not the same. Live events are still wobbly. Some people are raring to go, others are more reticent.

Pre-pandemic, most of us had rhythms and methods that, while perhaps not ideal, gave us a sense of security and predictability.

Even if they weren’t perfect, you knew what to do.

The pandemic blew those methods up overnight.

The pain of the moment we’re in is that it’s not what it was and isn’t yet what it will be.

The in-between creates chaos that’s beyond your control.

The pain of the moment we’re in is that it’s not what it was and isn’t yet what it will be.

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2. Your Mind Doesn’t Really Turn Off Anymore

Adding to the chaos is that the future is still unknown and uncertain.

Of course, it’s always been that way (does anyone really know the future?). But in a more stable period, there was a predictability to life and leadership that’s just absent now.

The unknownness of tomorrow forces leaders into a state of constant mental chaos,  asking questions for which there are no clear answers and having to change plans regularly.

The mental load you carry as a result means it’s hard to turn off your brain or get away from the crisis.

Even if you’re not working as many hours as you were a year ago, your mind is always working. And when you’re mind is always working, you’re working.

Even if you’re not working as many hours as you were a year ago, your mind is always working. And when you’re mind is always working, you’re working.

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3. Your Home And Pocket Are Also Your Office

The working from home shift disrupted the boundaries between work and life in a profound way.

But long before the pandemic, your home and pocket were increasingly becoming your office anyway.

You used to go to the office, but thanks to technology, the office goes to you.

You used to go to the office, but thanks to technology, the office goes to you.

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Between your laptop, tablet, and phone, work follows you everywhere.

If you’re a knowledge worker, you know that your work is never really done anyway. When have you done enough customer service, team development, product improvement, pastoral care? Correct…never. These are all infinite games.

So your work is never really done.

Add to that the fact that you can now do your work anywhere and you have a toxic cocktail indeed.

The ability to work from anywhere at any time leaves a lot of people feeling like they’re never really on and never really off. You’re taking breaks mid-day to make lunch for the kids or sweep the floor, and answering email at 10 p.m.

No wonder you feel like you’re never done, because you aren’t.

The ability to work from anywhere at any time leaves a lot of people feeling like they’re never really on and never really off.

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4. Inbound Messages Are At An All-Time High

I’m old enough to remember when you had one inbox.

At first, it was snail mail, and maybe you got a few pieces of mail a day. Or not.

In the 90s, email arrived and added a new inbox. In 1996, I think I got about 4-10 emails a day. Rather manageable.

Last year I counted up my inboxes. I have 11. Between social media inboxes, text messages, and a few email accounts, I have over 11 different channels people can use to message me.

Which means pretty much every time I look at my phone, someone is messaging me.

The thing about technology is that messages are always sent at the convenience of the sender, not at the convenience of the recipient, which deepens the sense of overwhelm you have because there’s rarely a time when someone isn’t trying to get your attention or ask you about something.

For me, that’s meant choosing a few inboxes in which I’ll be active while ignoring others (I realize that’s not for everyone).

It’s also meant deciding that I won’t always respond when the message comes in but instead when I’m ready and focused to respond.

Obviously, for a few people, I do respond right away.

Here’s my rule: the depth of relationship should determine the depth and speed of your response.

What does that mean? It means my family, team, and perhaps very closest friends get a near-immediate response. Others get a response later when I’m out of my most productive zone or finished down time.

The depth of relationship should determine the depth and speed of your response.

The depth of relationship should determine the depth and speed of your response.

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5. Too Much Task-Switching

Cal Newport argues, persuasively in my view, that our minds were not designed to switch constantly between tasks.

Constantly checking email, toggling between Slack and the project you’re working on, and pausing to answer texts and take phone calls distracts you to the point where you can’t really focus enough to accomplish deep work.

Or as Cal Newport put it, “Slack built the right tool for the wrong way to work’ (he explains why here).

I know on days where I’m toggling many things, I can often put in eight or ten hours and feel like I’ve accomplished nothing at all.

The antidote to constant task-switching is to create deep periods of uninterrupted focus in your work.

Your brain needs to focus to produce quality work and, ultimately, a good quantity of work over time.

For me, that’s mean almost all notifications have been off on all my devices for years, and hours of time-blocked space most days with no or very few interruptions.

6. You’ve Forgotten That Busyness Is a Choice

This is a hard one for me, but the truth is that busyness is a choice.

You’re as busy as you want to be. No more, no less.

Most days this is hard to remember. The vortex of busyness draws you in deeply and regularly.

A few days ago I was on my front porch early in the morning while the sun rose and I listened to the birds. They weren’t rushed at all. Nor were the trees, or the grass. Or the sky.

The chaos I feel is, for the most part, internally generated.

I’m as busy as I want to be.

So are you.

Busyness is a choice. You’re as busy as you want to be.

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What Should You Do?

Obviously, this isn’t a state most of us want to live in, but we get drawn into it again and again.

There are some strategies I’ve found that have helped me greatly and helped many others.

If you’re looking for a solution to chronic busyness and stress, let me invite you to sign up for my email list today.

Starting tomorrow, I’m giving some exclusive opportunities on how to become more productive and a chance to join a live coaching call with me to my email subscribers.

You’ll join over 80,000 leaders who will all be focusing on getting more productive all week.

Heres’ the link.

Any Other Non-Obvious Reasons?

What other non-obvious reasons do you see for the chronic busyness that’s invaded most leaders’ lives?

Scroll down and leave a comment!

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Source: Some Non-Obvious Reasons You Feel Busier Than Ever

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By Doug Holliday:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Matthew 11:28-29 NIV

How are you doing with rest these days?

There’s this interesting encounter Jesus had with a Canaanite woman who pleaded with Him to heal her daughter. It’s interesting because at first Jesus ignored her. Then, when her persistent pleading grew annoying, the disciples wanted Jesus to send her away. Instead of immediately sending her away, Jesus told her that He had come for the lost sheep of Israel.

All this seems very un-Christ-like. Where’s His compassion? This would be a simple healing. It’s not like Jesus to ignore people who asked Him for help.

“Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’”

Matthew? ?15:23? ?NIV??

Eventually, her pleading convinced Jesus to act. But why the delay? Why the debate?

One thought we should consider is that Jesus had taken the disciples to Tyre and Sidon not to do ministry, but to rest. After John the Baptist’s death, when the disciples returned from being sent out two by two for a period of intense ministry throughout Galilee, He told them He wanted to get away with them to rest (and likely grieve). This planned rest was interrupted by the large crowd who followed and found Him when Jesus and the disciples got off the boat in Bethsaida. After a full day of ministry meeting the overwhelming, pressing needs of the crowd, Jesus fed the 5,000.

Was the journey to the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon intended to be a seaside retreat to escape the crowds and find desperately needed rest? Is this why Jesus didn’t want to heal the Canaanite woman’s daughter? News would spread, and crowds seeking healing would come to find the miracle working Messiah, making rest impossible. Was Jesus’ not responding to the Canaanite woman initially the equivalent of Him turning off His cell phone?

This interaction could be viewed as callous and uncaring when He initially ignored her, but could the reality be that in fact Jesus was demonstrating the priority of rest, especially in light of the fact that He’d soon tell the disciples He’d be going to Jerusalem to die?

Jesus knew it was about to get intense. And it did!

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The crowds continued to grow. The demands continued to increase. Where a few months earlier Jesus drew a crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children in Jewish town of Bethsaida, after being in Tyre and Sidon He drew a crowd of 4,000 men plus women and children in Gentile region of the Decapolis.

“Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.”

Matthew? ?15:30? ?NIV??

We find Jesus again and again, in the midst of ministry intensity, getting away from the crowd. Perhaps this was to prioritize rest.

“After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.”

Matthew? ?15:39? ?NIV??

Magadan (possibly another name for Magdala) was a smaller town south of Jesus’ base of operations in bustling Capernaum.

“Jesus then left them and went away.”

Matthew? ?16:4?b NIV??

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’”

Matthew? ?16:13? ?NIV??

Caesarea Philippi, north of Galilee, was a center for Pagan Worship, somewhere Jews would not go. The crowds from Galilee would not follow Jesus there, so was this another way to escape the crowds and retreat with His disciples?

“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.”

Matthew 17:1 NIV

The hike up the mountain with Peter, James and John where Jesus was transfigured was another way to escape the crowds to find a place to pray, reflect, rest, and be with the Father.

It was absolutely critical that Jesus and the disciples prioritized rest at this point because of the intensity of what was coming. The emotional toll would be great.

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” ??

Matthew? ?16:21? ?NIV??

Jesus continually modeled the priority of rest.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Luke 5:16 NIV

“Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.”

John 11:54 NIV

“Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives.”

Luke 21:37 NIV

Jesus prioritized rest. He got away from the crowds. He practiced solitude.

Jesus prioritized rest. He got away from the craziness. He practiced stillness.

Jesus prioritized rest. He got away from the challenges. He practiced soul-care.

How intense is ministry for you right now? What kind of emotional toll are the demands of ministry taking on your soul and in your relationships? Jesus prioritized rest. Are you? Burning the candle at both ends leaves nothing in the middle. You know what’s in the middle?

Your heart.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23 NIV

By Doug Holliday

Used by permission. Originally posted here:

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Source: How to Prioritize Rest Like Jesus

The post How to Prioritize Rest Like Jesus appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Courage to Lead

I have a confession. 

I am a recovering perfectionist. By nature things are rarely ever “good enough.” I did say I am recovering. I have grown tremendously in this area. 

These days I am able to embrace and enjoy the journey more because I have learned to celebrate more. 

For most people I know, celebrating wins and enjoying the journey does not come easily. For most of us celebration is a discipline. 

Does that describe you? If so, do what I did. Discipline yourself to celebrate. Here’s a system that has helped me grow tremendously in this department: 

1. Celebrate Daily.

Every day, first thing in the morning, I reflect on the day before  and I write down three things for which I am grateful. To be honest, There are a lot of days I sit there for a while before the celebration begins to flow. Then, all of a sudden, it’s difficult to stop with just three things! Create a system whereby you celebrate the small wins daily. Why daily? For me it’s like exercising. Exercising once a week just makes us sore all over. It never makes us better. Exercising a little each day stretches and trains our muscles to be fit. The same thing happens with daily celebration. It stretches a muscle we all recognize as a need for growth!

2. Celebrate Weekly

Take a chill pill. Rest. Sabbath. Reflect on the week. Stop and smell the roses. Look over the last week and evaluate whether you were just busy or effective? Make adjustments. Remember, traction equals satisfaction. Go back over your Thankful Lists for the last week. If you have been faithful to work the system, and write down three things each day, you now have 21 things you have been thankful for over the last week! It’s been a tough week. There have been some wins and some losses. Our tendency is to focus on the losses. Don’t you do it. Celebrate the wins. Celebration and Depression can not coexist. Drive discouragement away by celebrating!

Celebrate Annually

Retreat. Take some extended time. Set up your email and voice mail auto responses and simply spend a week (or two) enjoying your life. Enjoy your family. Celebrate the accomplishments of the last year. You are not yet where you want to be but thank God you are not where you were! Thank God for how far He has brought you. Now…get focused on the future. Don’t ask God to help you “make it through” the rest of the year. Ask God for some big things. Set new audacious goals!  Thank God for surprising You with His blessing before He even does it. No then… don’t you feel better?

Does all of this seem like A LOT?

It actually is a lot. Frankly, it’s too much to do alone. That’s why at CourageToLead we believe, “Every Leader Needs a Coach”…because no leader can do it all alone!

Let’s set up a call with one of our coaches to talk through your own leadership poise and how you’re leading through the realities of this season.

It’s simple, click the button below, schedule a time that works for you, fill out a brief application and show up to your call…we’ll handle the rest!

schedule your call!

The weight you’re carrying is heavy. The burden is broad. You, and every other leader I know, are currently leading through tension, fear and an uncertain future. In a recent podcast episode Shawn personally encourages you out of his heart and gives you a few thoughts on how to lead courageously in this season. Listen to this episode HERE.

talk to a coach

Source: The Discipline of Celebration

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Source: Thriving in Leadership

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by Carey Nieuwhof:

“You have one body, and your leadership lives in it.” Jo Saxton had a lot to overcome from her childhood, and it caused her to become a driven leader in her thirties. Eventually, her drivenness led her into a burnout so deep she ended up in the hospital.

Jo not only recovered but figured out how to accomplish more by doing less. She explains how that happened and how to reduce the level of fear and anxiety your team experiences.

Welcome to Episode 354 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.

Plus, in this episode’s What I’m Thinking About segment, Carey talks about the importance of sleep, why he prioritizes it, and offers some hacks on how to sleep better.

Guest Links

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Episode Links

Gloo

As we all know, COVID-19 disrupted how people relate with one another, and in many ways accelerated the Church’s need to engage with people online. But as we all know, that complicates things. Many leaders have lost visibility into who’s engaging with their church and how they can serve them.

Insights+, from our friends at Gloo, removes the confusion, to bridge the digital gap and restore connection between you and your people. You’ll be able to see who’s viewing your website, know if they’re members or visitors, see where they are locally or nationwide, and then re-engage them with next steps. Gain clarity on your online audiences so you can take action and reach the right people with the right message, online or in-person.

Learn more about Insights+ at glooinsights.com/carey

The Unstuck Group

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the rapid changes and decisions that need to be made right now as a ministry leader? My team at Connexus just wrapped up another strategic planning session with Tony Morgan at The Unstuck Group to clarify where we’re going in this season and how we’ll get there. I can’t recommend their coaching enough. We’ve used them again and again because their practical, proven approach actually works.

If you want to get a taste, The Unstuck Group is hosting an exclusive 1-Day Masterclass on July 30th on key shifts churches need to make because of the Coronavirus. It’s $99, and you’ll walk away with action steps and clarity around what needs to change to thrive in the post-pandemic world. My listeners get free access to Lesson One from the Masterclass Guidebook.

Download your copy and learn more at theunstuckgroup.com/carey

CONVERSATION LINKS

More Than Enchanting by Jo Saxton

The Dream of You by Jo Saxton

Ready to Rise by Jo Saxton

Sleep by Nick Littlehales

AutoSleep app

Text CAREY 33777 to join more than 70,000 subscribers to our leadership content

6 Current Productivity Experiments That are Paying Off (+ 1 Fail) by Carey Nieuwhof

3 INSIGHTS FROM JO

1. Who were you before anyone told you who you were supposed to be

When Jo was growing up, she was told that since she was a Nigerian girl in 1970’s London, she would have to work twice as hard as everyone else just to be equal. She had been dehumanized by society away from her potential. This didn’t go away as she got older.

People told her that she “should” be quieter, or that she “should” go find a good man and do ministry that way, or that she “should” just let other people handle certain areas of ministry. Jo has learned that you can’t let what other people think you “should” be determine who you become. Stay true to how God has gifted you, no matter what other people think.

2. You have one body, and your leadership lives in it

Your body doesn’t lie. Jo and Carey have both learned this the hard way as they each went through their own seasons of burnout. When Jo was burning out, she saw how badly the people in her church needed her, so she kept working more hours. Eventually through insomnia and anxiety attacks, her body began telling her to stop, and eventually, it forced her to stop by putting her in urgent care.

Carey has a similar story with burnout when he didn’t listen to his body’s warnings. Have you? As a leader, the demand on your time and energy is immense. Add on being a great parent and spouse, friend or sibling, and it would be easy to sacrifice sleep, eating healthy, or exercise for the sake of work. Don’t. If you don’t put serious effort into taking care of your body, it will quit taking care of you.

3. It takes a village to make a leader

When you look deep into the stories of the greatest leaders in history, whether it’s Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, or other highly-influential leaders, you see that there was a movement of people surrounding them, making them who they were. Jo has also seen this in her own life.

Jo comes from a very communal culture that is different from the modern West. This communal mindset has taught her that not only does it take a village to raise a child, but it takes a village to raise a leader. You have probably seen this in your own life and leadership. So today, find a leader whose corner you can step into, and do it.

Quotes from Episode 354

You have one body, and your leadership lives in it. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

Who were you before anyone told you who you were supposed to be? @josaxtonClick To Tweet

There is a healing even in leading in the way you’re wired. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

I had built my entire life on being twice as good to be equal. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

I was fighting to be equal. Now I know I’m equal, and I don’t have to. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

When you’re dehumanized, you get detached from your potential. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

Leaders, it’s time to know you’re enough. You’re already good enough. And if you know that knowing that truth would change you in some way, then it’s time to let it change you. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

We don’t burn out because we want to. We burn out because of the other things that are driving us. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

You may have great ideas and be a wonderful businessman or a woman, a wonderful innovator, a great creative, but if your body’s out, you’re out. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

I decided where my intensity would go, and rather than my intensity going into endless activity, it would go towards my well-being. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

One of the big challenges in times when everything’s shaken is, ‘What in our expectations can stay the same and what has to change?’ @josaxtonClick To Tweet

A leader without cultural competency is a leader with an interesting deadline. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

It’s just really vital that as leaders, we are culturally cognizant, because not everybody experiences the world in the same way that we do. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

We need people who help us get roots and people who give us wings. @josaxtonClick To Tweet

I would ask every leader to consider, ‘Who’s your village?’ @josaxtonClick To Tweet

The better you sleep, the higher your productivity. @cnieuwhofClick To Tweet

A rested you is a better, kinder and more productive you. @cnieuwhofClick To Tweet

Read or Download the Transcript for Episode 354

Looking for a key quote? More of a reader?

Read or download a free PDF transcript of this episode here.

Watch Back Episodes of The Podcast on YouTube

Select episodes of this podcast are now on YouTube. Our new YouTube Channel gives you a chance to watch some episodes, not just listen. We’ll add select episodes to YouTube as time goes on.

DIDN’T SEE IT COMING WILL HELP YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEMS MOST LEADERS MISS

If you want practical help overcoming some of the biggest challenges leaders face, my book Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the 7 Greatest Challenges That Nobody Expects and Everyone Experiences tackles the seven core issues that take people out: cynicism, compromise, disconnectedness, irrelevance, pride, burnout, and the emptiness of success and provides strategies on how to combat each.

I wrote the book because no 18 year old sets out to be cynical, jaded and disconnected by age 35. Yet it happens all the time.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here’s what top leaders are saying about Didn’t See It Coming:

“Seriously, this may be the most important book you read this year.” Jud Wilhite, Lead Pastor, Central Church

“Powerful, personal, and highly readable. ” Brian Houston, Global Senior Pastor, Hillsong

“Whatever challenge you’re facing, whatever obstacle you’re hoping to overcome, whatever future you dream or imagine, there is something powerful for you here.” Andy Stanley, Founder, North Point Ministries

“Uncommonly perceptive and generous…You have to read this book.” Ann Voskamp, NYT bestselling author

“Masterful.” Reggie Joiner, CEO Orange

“Deep biblical insight, straightforward truth, and practical wisdom to help you grow.” Craig Groeschel, Pastor and NYT bestselling author

“This book is sure to help you.” Daniel H. Pink, NYT bestselling author

Over the years, one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about being a public speaker is having opportunities to hang out with Carey…It’s not a matter of if you’ll run into these challenges; it’s a matter of when. Be prepared by spending a little time with a leader who has already been there.” Jon Acuff, NYT best-selling author

“Nieuwhof’s book provides expert guidance…with an accuracy that pierces the heart.” Nancy Duarte, CEO Duarte Inc.

“A refreshingly transparent guide for all leaders in a wide variety of industries.” Bryan Miles, Co-Founder and CEO, BELAY

You can learn more and get your copy of Didn’t See It Coming here.

Subscribed Yet? 

Subscribe for free and never miss out on wisdom from world-class leaders like Brian Houston, Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Nancy Duarte, Henry Cloud, Patrick Lencioni, Francis Chan, Ann Voskamp, Erwin McManus and many others.

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Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review

Hopefully, this episode has helped you lead like never before. That’s my goal. If you appreciated it, could you share the love?

The best way to do that is to rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave us a brief review! You can do the same on Stitcher and on TuneIn as well.

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Thank you for being so awesome.

Next Episode: John Eldredge

When John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart came out 20 years ago, it struck a chord that continues to reverberate decades later about the message men and women most need to hear. John talks about his own unsustainable pace, what the internet is doing to our souls, and how to live your life at a pace your soul can sustain.

Subscribe for free now so you won’t miss Episode 355.

The post CNLP 354: Jo Saxton on How Leaders Fall Into Burnout, How to Come Back from It and on How to Reduce Anxiety and Stress on Your Team appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: CNLP 354: Jo Saxton on How Leaders Fall Into Burnout, How to Come Back from It and on How to Reduce Anxiety and Stress on Your Team

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by TheChurch.Digital: Dearest church leader, online pastor, or tech worker-

With all sincerity, I tell you this:

Take a break.

It’s the only way you’re going to successfully rediscover your RHYTHM.

Don’t get snippy with me, either.  I know it’s tough right now. But your rhythm is of VITAL IMPORTANCE.

—–

Before I was a Digital Pastor, I was a Worship Pastor. My entire life has actually been around music.  Every member of my family is a brilliant musician, involved in church worship.

One thing that our entire family was blessed with knowing where “one” is. “One” in the case of music is the starting of a new measure or section.  We can screw up our lyrics, our strumming patterns, our drum fills, but we always could just feel how to get back into the groove.  We could feel the rhythm.  Cool Runnings-esque.

Music students are taught to not just flail around and play nonsense when they lose their rhythm, but instead to pause, rest a beat or two, and then come back in on “one.”

In music as in life, we have a tendency to live our daily lives in routines, in patterns.  In RHYTHMS. Literally everyone has them.

The Bible is also filled with them.  The entire sin-to-humility pattern in the Old Testament for Moses, all of the judges, David, Solomon, all of the kings.  Even God the Creator took the seventh day to rest in His creation and enacted it to be so.

Do you honestly think God NEEDED to rest?  Because I sure don’t.

But, like a good Father, He is setting down a stake for how to live a life of rhythm, of ebbing and flowing, of creation and rest.  The ideal way to live, God says, is to work and rest.

He knows we’re sinful.  So we’ll sin, and then repent. And grace abounds.

Rhythmic.  Sin, repentance, grace.  Work, rest.

—–

In the last month, most of us have had our lives turned…well, what’s worse than upside-down?  Inside-out?

My family has been tossed around.  No more typical Sunday routines. No more work for my wife.  No more school or youth group for my kids. No more track meets or baseball games or guitar lessons or hanging out at the park.

My own rhythms of daily quiet times filled with prayer, journaling, and Scripture reading have been upended.

If you’re like me, you can’t feel the rhythm right now.  You’re breathlessly attacking a day that has nothing other than a list of mountains to climb, and your energies are becoming less and less.

Our low-level anxiety we all have right now comes from the loss of rhythm.  And it’s manifesting itself in our grocery store purchasing behavior and our fascination with Tiger King.

And, for the Type-A Ennagram 1’s out there like me (many of you church leaders), the loss of rhythm is coming out in our work habits.  

I read Psalm 127:2 and get chills:

“It is in vain that you rise up earlyand go late to rest,eating the bread of anxious toil;for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

“Vain? Not me!  I’m working this hard so that blah blah blah.”

Yes, I get it.  I’m vain too. And when I get out of the rhythms of prayer and rest I feel as if the world is stretching me thin, much like a Stretch Armstrong doll being pulled apart.

Raise your hand if this is one of the busiest seasons of life you’ve ever experienced, if you could count the hours you’ve spent AWAY from your computer in fractions, or if you’ve had meetings/calls that seem to push you further away from your mission.

Raise your hand if you’re just downright scared.

—–

It’s okay.  This is a safe place.

I’m with you.  I can’t feel the rhythm right now.  And that scares me.

So what do we do about that?

We need a reset.  We need to find where “one” is again.  We need to feel the music again.

Because, Biblically, what happens when the people of God reset?

Blessing comes.  God acts. Grace appears.  A new song starts.

—–

YOU need to reset.  To take a break. To not flail around, but to pause, wait a beat or two, and then enter the song again on “one.”

If not for your own sake, then for the sanity of your family or your church.

Please, take today or tomorrow or one day in the next week.  Sleep in a little. Eat. Go for a walk or a run outside. Enjoy a cup of coffee.  Play with your kids. Read a stinking book.

DON’T open your laptop.  DON’T check your e-mail. DON’T think about metrics or views or totals.

Rest.  Recover.  Take a break.  Your church is going to be there when you get back.  Your scheduling of premieres, cutting of videos, answering emails, Zoom meetings, and Instagram DMs…they will all be there.

You’re going to find that your life will slowly return to “One.”  Is it going to be playing the same song as before?

Absolutely not.

But I bet you’ll be surprised at how much you like the new song.  And I bet it sounds amazing.

Source: Hey Church Leader, How’s Your Margin?

The post Hey Church Leader, How's Your Margin? appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Shawn Lovejoy: We are not wired to function without rest.

Take a moment and personalize that.

YOU are not wired to function without rest.

This is true on a base human level, but it is a good lesson for leaders as well. “Burning the midnight oil” is a great metaphor, but does not make a leader effective over the long haul.

Leaders need rest.

You need rest.

Here are 4 reasons why.

You need rest because…

Tired eyes rarely see a bright future.

Leaders are dealers of hope. Inspiring others to better days is our core task. Exhaustion causes us to see the future dimly. It is impossible to inspire when we feel stuck in the mire. Rest removes us from the pressure of the urgent to see the possibilities of the future. Those you lead are struggling to see past the immediacy of their own moment. They need you engaged in the potential of what lies ahead.

When fatigue walks in faith walks out.

Leadership is hard. At the core of a great cause is the belief that what you are doing will work. A lack of rest robs us of the strength to hold on to that belief. It is ok to get tired, but it is not ok to stay tired. You have to lead yourself enough to recognize when you need to hit pause. One indicator is when you begin to see things through the dark veil of fear. Rest renews faith.

Exhaustion makes mountains seem taller and valleys seem lower.

When a leader is tired what once looked like a challenge morphs into an impossibility. Leaders tackle big mountains and persevere through dark valleys. Perspective helps keep leaders balanced during turbulent times. Rest is the key that unlocks perspective.

Decisions when you’re worn out result in potential fall out.

I heard someone say, “Don’t make a big decision when you’re tired.” Instead of pressing through and forcing decisions it is often best to wait. If I face a major decision while I feel pressured or tired, I make the decision to wait!  When you are exhausted being decisive can become divisive. Wait, rest, then decide.

Your next leadership breakthrough may come on the other side of a nap!

talk to a coach

order now

Source: 4 Reasons Leaders Need Rest

The post 4 Reasons Leaders Need Rest appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Carey Nieuwhof: You’re probably feeling a little tired.

And if that’s the case, you’re not alone. Exhaustion, anxiety and stress seems to be a growing problem in leadership.

Recently, a planned sabbatical made headlines when mega-church pastor Howard-John Wesley stood before 4500 worshippers in early December and told them he was tired and taking a Sabbatical.

“I am tired in my soul,” Wesley said, among many other things he shared.

There was no scandal, no moral failure…just fatigue—a soul-weariness that most of us who have led for more than a few minutes know all too well. (The full message is a great listen for any leader struggling with fatigue…and the message is better than the articles that summarize it. Howard-John is nuanced, thoughtful and very real. Listen here.)

What encouraged me so much about Wesley was his decision to take a break before something bad happened—or at least something worse than the fatigue and frustration he confessed to. As he said in the message, he’s not burned out. He’s coming back. But he’s tired.

When you peel behind the headlines of mega-church pastor failures, business leaders who get fired, the resignations of politicians and even implosion of athletes, one common theme is that many of them were tired…dead tired. (I offer some thoughts on why mega-church pastors keep failing in this post.)

Run on empty for long, and it’s almost inevitable that you end up doing something you (and many others) will regret for a long time.

So—now the big question— why is leadership so exhausting?

Here are 5 reasons I’ve seen in my own leadership and life.

1. Your Ratio of Output to Input Is Skewed

One of the chief roles of leadership is to produce. Think about it.

As a leader, you’re responsible for:

results

content

the team

wins

changed lives

progress

widgets

financials

And that’s just a partial list.

All of which means your job as a leader is to create outputs.

But like a bank account, outputs have to be at least matched, if not exceeded, by inputs. Otherwise, you go bankrupt.

If you were to look at your life right now, what’s your ratio of output to input? My guests for most leaders it’s running 5:1. Or maybe 10:1.

That’s a problem.

Inputs for leaders include rest, learning, growth, life-giving relationships, spiritual development, healthy eating, exercise, training, outside ideas, hobbies and…(remember this?)…fun.

If your output consistently exceeds your input as a leader, you’re on the road to bankruptcy.

If your output consistently exceeds your input as a leader, you’re on the road to bankruptcy. Click To Tweet

2. You’re Never Really Off

Technology has changed so much in the last decade.

Because of the pressures of leadership, leaders have always had a hard time being ‘off’. There’s always more to be done.

But smartphones and the proliferation of inboxes on every single social platform, and ‘advances’ like Slack, email, text messaging and plain old voicemail means a leader is never really off.

You used to go to work, now, thanks to technology, work goes to you…and never leaves you.

It might be easy to think you’re just taking 5 minutes out of your family’s Disney+ movie night, but every interaction takes its toll.

I have friends in medicine who are on call all the time. They tell me they never sleep the same knowing they could be called. Even if they happen to make it through the night without a call, they still don’t wake up as rested.

These days, that’s pretty much all of us.

You used to go to work, now, thanks to technology, work goes to you…and never leaves you.Click To Tweet

3. And You’re Never Really On

In the same way work follows you everywhere you go via your pocket or purse, your life now follows you to work.

Not only are you tired from not enough sleep, and stressed from working a bit the night before, but now your whole life is accessible at work. You can book dinner reservations, text your family, check your personal social media accounts and so much more.

As a result, it’s harder to focus at work and stay productive.

You’re never really on, and you’re never really off. You just live in a perpetual grey zone.

Because of technology, you’re never really on, and you’re never really off. You just live in a perpetual grey zone. Click To Tweet

4. There’s No Finish Line

Even if you’re never really on and never really off, there’s an even bigger question: when are you done leading?

Correct. Never.

The blessing and curse of leadership is that there’s always more: more people to serve, people to reach or clients to acquire.

And then there’s better.

One of the things that drives most leaders is the desire to improve. Which is awesome, and often very needed.

But eventually, excellent brings diminishing returns. If your work amounts to, say, an 8.5 out of 10, for example, making it a 9.5 might take you hours, or days, or even thousands (or hundreds of thousands of dollars). And for what?

When something that might requires double the effort or dollars only produces 10% more, you have to question the return on investment. Especially when, in all likelihood, 10% more effort in another area might produce 30% greater results.

Unaware of the diminishing returns, most leaders keep pushing for no real reason.

And here’s the sobering reality: if you don’t declare a finish line, your body will.

If you don’t declare a finish line, your body will. Click To Tweet

5. Rest looks like weakness 

For a lot of us in leadership, rest either looks like weakness or unfaithfulness.

It’s actually just the opposite.

Elite athletes know that recovery is key to performance. Without sleep, nutrition and rest, your body just can’t perform at top levels.

Neither can you.

I still find it hard to be still, because rest looks like unproductive time to me. And deep down, I fear underneath that is laziness.

Most driven, tired leaders I know are anything but lazy. Laziness is resting when you’re not tired. Resting when you’re tired and building in recovery days and even seasons can be the difference between you leading for years or leading well for decades.

Rest isn’t weakness. A rested you is a better you and a sharper you.

Rest isn’t weakness. A rested you is a better you and a sharper you. Click To Tweet

Two Ways To Beat the Fatigue

Beyond the obvious “get some rest”, what can you do to defeat your fatigue? I’m literally writing a book on this right now, but here are two ideas that can help right now.

First, monitor your ratio of output to input. If you’re consistently putting out more than you’re taking in (as covered in Point 1), then adjust the ratio.

Reduce output voluntarily before exhaustion and burnout reduces your output involuntarily.

Second, be radically proactive about self-care. 

A decade ago, John Piper (a pastor of a large church with a global ministry) took a pro-active leave , and was exceptionally candid about some of the problems that were surfacing him that he wanted to address and work on.

In Piper’s case, there was no presenting ‘crisis’, but he felt one brewing.

In Piper’s own words:

I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, I love my Lord, my wife, my five children and their families first and foremost; and I love my work of preaching and writing and leading Bethlehem. I hope the Lord gives me at least five more years as the pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem.

But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins.

Wise. Wise, wise, wise. Very wise.

If you start getting healthy before there’s a crisis, you’ll have fewer crises.

If you start getting healthy before there’s a crisis, you’ll have fewer crises. Click To Tweet

READY TO GET HEALTHIER?

Exhausted thinking about how much work is ahead of you?

Good news. A small investment will pay huge dividends in getting you healthier and freeing up time to make your organization healthier.

I’d love to help you do that.

I’ve helped over 3000 leaders free up hundreds of hours each year and often 3 hours a day to do what they feel they never have time for and get healthier in the process.

My High Impact Leader course, is my online, on-demand course designed to help you get time, energy and priorities working in your favour.

It’s perfect for leaders who feel like they never have enough time in the day to get the really important things done.

Many leaders who have taken it are recovering 3 productive hours a day.  That’s about 1000 hours of found time each year. That’s a lot of time for what matters most.

Here are what some alumni are saying about The High Impact Leader Course”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing the course again. It has absolutely made an impact in my life and family already that I can’t even describe.” – Joel Rowland, Clayton County, North Carolina

“Just wow.  Thank you, thank you.” Dave Campbell,  Sioux Falls South Dakota

“A game-changer.” Pam Perkins,  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Curious? Want to beat overwhelm and have the time to reflect, rest and reinvent yourself?

Click here to learn more or get instant access.

What Are You Sensing?

So, what do you think contributes to the exhaustion so many leaders feel?

And how are you learning to prevent it?

Scroll down and leave a comment!

The post Why Leadership Is So Exhausting—And What to Do About It appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: Why Leadership Is So Exhausting—And What to Do About It

The post Why Leadership Is So Exhausting—And What to Do About It appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By Carey Nieuwhof

If you’re a driven leader, want to know how to really frustrate your team?

Just utter some of the phrases that naturally flow from your mouth.

I’ve driven my team crazy over the years by saying things and sharing expectations that seem logical to me but crushing to them.

As a driven leader myself, I’ve learned that I see the world through a lens that has both an upside and a real downside. As a young leader, I only saw the upside of the way I saw things and thought everybody should see the world that way I see it.

Big mistake.

The older I get and the more experience I gain, the more I realize that the unique lens through which I see the world as a driven leader has to be tempered.

Okay let me qualify that.  You should only temper your words and approach if you want to keep high quality team members around for a long time. If not, no worries. Carry on.

Two things can really help you become a better leaders; self-awareness and self-regulation. To be self-aware is one thing. Self-aware leaders know that what they’re going to say or do is a problem.

To know what you’re about to do is counter-productive is only part of the challenge.

Even better is a leader who decides to self-regulate…to stop, reflect and change before the damage is done. I’m working hard at self-regulation because, of course, self-aware, self-regulated leaders make far better leaders.

So, in the hopes of becoming more self-aware and more self-regulated, here are 7 things driven leaders say that really frustrate their team.

Self-aware, self-regulated leaders make far better leaders. Click To Tweet

1. These numbers can’t be right

So what do you do when you don’t like the numbers?

Too many times, here’s what I’ve done: dismissively said These numbers can’t be right.

Occasionally—very occassoinally—I’m right. Someone miscounted, or the there’s an error in the formula in the spreadsheet.

But usually, I’m wrong. I just don’t like what I see.

Just because you don’t like the numbers you see as a leader doesn’t mean the numbers are inaccurate.

Just because you don’t like the numbers you see as a leader doesn’t mean the numbers are inaccurate.Click To Tweet

When you don’t like what you see, stop questioning what you see. Change whatever you need to change to make things better.

Great leaders stop complaining about results they don’t like and start working on the problems that produce the results.

Great leaders stop complaining about results they don’t like and start working on the problems that produce the results.Click To Tweet

2. How hard can that be?

Many—not all—but many driven leaders are visionaries. (To find out whether you are, listen to Les McKeown here.)

I am, which means I often see things from a 30,000 feet perspective.

And at 30,000 feet, everything looks easy.

Launch a new location? Simple.

Change everything? Start right now.

Write a book? Piece of cake.

After all, how hard can it be?

Well, apparently, quite hard.

Doing anything significant is hard work. Anything significant I’ve done (including launching a new location, changing everything and writing books) has been hard. But visionaries easily forget how hard things are.

Visionaries see the opportunity when everyone else sees the obstacles. Usually that’s a good thing.

Except when you’re trying to motivate your team. They see how hard it is. They’re living it.

Visionaries see the opportunity when everyone else sees the obstacles.Click To Tweet

The best thing you can do is acknowledge how hard it is, empathize with them, ask what barriers you can help remove and let them know you see how hard they’re working.

Then keep seeing opportunities when it’s so easy to let the obstacles defeat you.

When your team knows you see how hard it is, they’re far more motivated to work hard.

When your team knows you see how hard it is, they’re far more motivated to work hard.Click To Tweet

3. That won’t take much time at all

Another chronic trap driven leaders fall into is underestimating how long it will take to complete a task or project.

Doing that with your own work is one thing, but undervaluing the time it takes your team to do something is demotivating.

For example, you might think asking your assistant to change a flight is easy. But when was the last time you rebooked a flight? I know last time I did it, I messed it up royally and someone else had to swoop into fix it. But I almost forget that.

With any project, it’s a great idea to ask a team member how long they estimate it might take. Don’t assume. Ask.

Then check in and ask how it’s going.

Do they need more time?

Is their workload still realistic?

Is there anything you can to help?

Minimizing the workload your team is facing maximizes their frustration with you.

Minimizing the workload your team is facing maximizes their frustration with you.Click To Tweet

4. Didn’t I just say that?

You love to be the one with all the ideas. Except you’re not.

It’s easy as a leader to want to take the credit, to remind your team that you had the idea first, or that they’re echoing something you said.

Don’t.

Just don’t.

The fact that your team may be repeating something you said is a sign that the vision and ideas are catching on. That they’re owning the ideas you may have crafted.

Let it happen. Don’t steal back any credit. Let the ideas circulate in them.

Not only will they own them, they’ll make all your ideas and concepts better.

Celebrate it when ideas vest in your team and come from your team.

The leader who tries to steal someone else’s thunder ends up creating a whole new set of storms.

The leader who tries to steal someone else’s thunder ends up creating a whole new set of storms.Click To Tweet

5. That’s exactly what I was thinking

This isn’t one of my pet phrases, but when I’ve had others say this in response to something I’ve shared, it’s often deflating.

Sure…if you’ve truly been thinking something that someone else articulated, that can be a fun moment.

But often I’ve sense that people say this when they want to take some credit for your idea or they want to devalue what you’re saying to make them look good.

As a leader, I have to remind myself to celebrate whenever someone articulates something I was thinking about, says something I’ve said or communicated an important idea.

Just shut up. Swallow your insecurity. And celebrate the other person’s idea sincerely and deeply.

When you celebrate your team’s ideas, you’ll discover that your team tends to generate more ideas.

When you celebrate your team’s ideas, you’ll discover that your team tends to generate more ideas.Click To Tweet

6. I thought you just got back from vacation

It can be easy as a boss to think everybody should be at work every day, 52 weeks a year.

Bad idea.

People need a break and should have meaningful time off.

Don’t disparage days off and vacation. Applaud them.

As much as there’s a part of me wish everyone on my team was available all the time, I’ve found that when I ask them whether they’re getting time off, whether they’re enjoying the time off, and whether work is making unfair demands on them, you get team members who show up and give you far more than if you’re always driving them.

Remember, you bring who you are into everything you do. And a rested you is a better you.

So make sure you create a culture in which it’s easy to rest, take time off and then come back ready to engage powerfully and meaningfully in work.

You bring who you are into everything you do. Don’t disparage days off and vacation. Applaud them. A rested you is a better you. Click To Tweet

7. You Have To…

Guess what? Nobody has to do anything.

Sure…you’re staff get paid, but they don’t have to work with you. They can quit and find meaningful work somewhere else. And along the way they’ll find a better boss.

Volunteers can quietly walk out the door at any moment.

Nobody has to do anything.

And, as resentful as you might feel, you don’t have to do anything either for that matter.

You get to do things. I get to do things. And if you really feel like everything’s a horrible burden and obligation, maybe you’re in the wrong job or at least in the wrong headspace.

What I find is that if I ask people to do something, they almost always do it, and with greater enthusiasm than if I told them to do it.

Sometimes I’ll even ask my team “Hey, would it be possible for you to do X? If not, I completely understand.”

I almost never have anyone who says no. And on the rare occasion they do, we can drill down and see why something is difficult for them to do in the moment.

The principle under this? When you give people an out, they lean in.

When you give people an out, they lean in. Click To Tweet

Become a Better Leader..This Week

One of the reasons leaders struggle to improve their leadership is, quite honestly, they feel like they just don’t have the time to do it.

Change that.

My approach to life and leadership changed radically for me over ten years ago when I figured out how to get time, energy and priorities working in my favour.

I’d love to help you free up hours each day to do the same thing. And I’ve helped over 5000 leaders do just that.

If you’re trying to find the time for what matters most in life, my High Impact Leader course, is my online, on-demand course designed to help you get time, energy and priorities working in your favour.

Many leaders who have taken it are recovering 3 productive hours a day.  That’s about 1000 hours of found time each year. That’s a lot of time for what matters most.

Here are what some alumni are saying about The High Impact Leader Course”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing the course again. It has absolutely made an impact in my life and family already that I can’t even describe.” – Joel Rowland, Clayton County, North Carolina

“Just wow.  Thank you, thank you.” Dave Campbell,  Sioux Falls South Dakota

“A game changer.” Pam Perkins,  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Curious? Want to beat overwhelm and have the time to reflect, rest and reinvent yourself?

Click here to learn more or get instant access.

Anything Else?

What phrases have you said or heart that frustrate your team?

Scroll down and leave a comment!

The post 7 Phrases Driven Leaders Use (That Really Frustrate Their Team) appeared first on CareyNieuwhof.com.

Source: 7 Phrases Driven Leaders Use (That Really Frustrate Their Team)

The post 7 Phrases Driven Leaders Use (That Really Frustrate Their Team) appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Stan Rodda: A theme has been coming to the surface recently in my life. I have noticed it in my calls with my coach and texts with my accountability partner. That theme is…rest.

I’m sure many of you have found yourself in a situation like mine. You are in the middle of some great stuff. You are working hard, the to-do list is full. You’re having great conversations with people. Lives are being changed. You’re seeing momentum in your church or ministry.

In that season, it’s difficult to put down the laptop or notebook and take a break. Why? Because great stuff is happening. You have to ride that wave. Keep pushing the flywheel until it’s really rolling. You can almost feel it, the breakthrough is just on the other side of one more day, week or month of hard work.

Then it happens.

You realize you haven’t been taking your day off. You haven’t had a REAL vacation in years. All of a sudden it feels like everything is crashing down.

One of my goals is to always come back to the theme of rest. To help pastors and church leaders take a season of rest before it’s too late. Before a moral or financial failure. We have seen this too often in church leaders.

This week I was struck by Jim Burgeon, lead pastor at Flatirons Community Church in Boulder, Colorado. He posted a 10 minute video for his church to tell them about a six-month sabbatical his elders have told him to take. What I love about it is his honesty and openness. But what I love more than anything is that he is doing this now before it’s too late.

If you haven’t seen the video yet, take a look.

To be very clear: I respect Jim and the elders of Flatirons Community Church for this decision.

Here’s where rest intersects disciple making. Discipleship at its core is obedience to God and God calls us to Sabbath rest. He can do more with our six days of effort than we can if we work all seven. Let’s get ahead of burn out and moral failures in our lives and churches by recommitting to Sabbath rest as a matter of obedience to God. What is it going to take for us to make that a reality in our lives?

Here are five action steps that need to be taken.

Rediscover Sabbath Rest

I think sometimes we view time off as a weakness. If we step away to refuel, then we are weak and incapable of the responsibilities of leadership and making disciples. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Spend some time studying Scripture and what God says about Sabbath. It’s a sign of strength and trust in God the Father. In obedience we declare that we trust God more than we trust ourselves. If we are honest with ourselves, this speaks more to what we believe about God than anything.

Small God = I can’t take time off, I need to work, God is incapable of doing work outside of my effort or I don’t trust Him to follow through on His part, my God is weak but I am strong.

Big God = God is capable, His grace is sufficient and He will cover for my weakness while I take time and enjoy some rest and fun, I trust Him to follow through on His part, my God is strong and I am weak.

Commit to Top Priorities Only

In other words, stop doing what doesn’t matter and what isn’t making more disciples. There are at least one million and one good programs out there for the church to do. If you are running twenty programs and are seeing no fruit in new people or your current people, it’s time to end those programs. If a small group of people get mad that the programs are going away, then they were more committed to a program than the mission of the church. That should be a clue as to the ineffectiveness and lack of health in that program.

Get Serious About Accountability

Who have you given the ability to come up to you after a Sunday and say, “Hey, you seem tired. What day are you taking off this week?” Who can speak into your life at that level? I believe every pastoral failure that makes the news can be traced to that person believing they were above accountability.

No one could tell them to slow down

No one could tell them they needed to rest

No one could tell them they were in danger

It’s easy for us to point fingers, scoff and run through the, “that will never happen to me,” scenarios when a pastor or church leader fails. It’s more difficult work to put ourselves under the authority of someone we trust to call us out when needed.

Discover What Brings You Joy And Happiness

What hobby or activity brings you to life? There are thousands of possible answers.

Hiking

Biking

Working out

Restoring old cars

Riding motorcycles

Painting

Listening to music

Walking

Designing

Photography

Eating good food

Traveling

Exploring new cities

Museums

etc…

For me, it’s a little bit of time on two wheels. I love that time of rest from work and reconnecting with God. Looking around at His creation, rolling through the hills of Virginia is a great time of spiritual refueling. Even my wife says I’m different after a ride.

Discover what brings you life, joy and happiness. Then fill a day with that. Allow your soul to rest and find refreshment in an activity that God has wired you to enjoy. Thank God for that time of fun and trust Him to do work while you rest.

Communicate Sabbath Rest With Your Team

Whatever day it is that you are choosing to give time to Sabbath rest, be sure to communicate that with your staff team. No matter how many you are responsible for, make sure they know you are unavailable that day. This does a couple things for you.

It gives you an added layer of accountability to actually take that day off and rest.

It leads by example to your team that they need to be doing the same.

Now when you ask your team if they are taking their day off and resting, they will take you seriously. They will know that it’s a matter of obedience to God because they will have seen it modeled.

If we are going to see a resurgence of the Gospel and a disciple making movement in our day, it is going to require a renewed commitment to Sabbath rest. We must see it is an act of obedience to God and trusting Him to do more than we can ask or imagine.

What would you add to help pastors and church leaders to get back to Sabbath rest?

Source: 5 Actions To Restore Sabbath Rest In Our Lives

The post 5 Actions To Restore Sabbath Rest In Our Lives appeared first on Passion for Planting.