Comments on: When Ministry Becomes a Breath of Fresh Air (Part 1)

By: A Place For The God-Hungry » Blog Archive » When Ministry is a Breath of Fresh Air (Part 2)

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:32:13 +0000

[...] reason to get impressed with my self-importance. Less reason to get discouraged.(See part 1 here.) What do you think? How have you grappled with this in your own life and ministry? Tags: [...]

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:08:05 +0000

Alison– I really like the way you put this. Find time to do something that you simply enjoy. (I need to hear this, thank you. This is so important.

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:05:41 +0000

Karin–Thanks very much. I always appreciate your very thoughtful comments.

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:55:54 +0000

To that list I would add, make sure you’re spending some time in your week doing something you love! All five statements are true, and it’s also true that all of us (and I am so bad at this, but becoming better) need time, even if it’s half an hour a week, simply to do something we love, whether it’s painting, cooking, writing (not for sermon preparation or other work), building things, scrapbooking, or simply blasting music in your bedroom and dancing like an idiot (at least in my case, anyway).
At the core of this is the need all of us have to recreate, to have fun. God created us to enjoy life. I happen to think that when we are rooted in the joy of the Lord, when we let it be our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10), then everything else we do will flow from that. I believe that finding time for fun helps us find His joy, especially in the more creative arenas. I find that when I’m creating something, I’m connected more intimately with God, and experience an infinitesimal fraction of the delight He experienced when He created the world and everything in it. I’m then able to take that joy and use it to fuel everything else I do.

By: karin

karin — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:06:12 +0000

It’s interesting to me that a reader can sense when all five statements are also true of a blogger who is genuine and yet one has never met in person. These are good words for all of us – regardless of where we serve. I have been blessed several times in my life to know that I was loved, respected and appreciated by my pastor, but only one ever actually spoke those words. God used him to do a deep work of healing in my life by showing me the love of my heavenly Father in a way I had never experienced from my earthly father. Oh, the joy! Thanks so much for this post.

By: L.L. Barkat

L.L. Barkat — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:29:38 +0000

I loved this simple statement, "If they sense you don’t love them, then it really won’t matter what else you do." If I have not love…

By: Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:28:03 +0000

Royce, Thanks for your very kind remaks. I appreciate very much what you said. I also think that #3 is very, very important.

By: Royce Ogle

Royce Ogle — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:01:19 +0000

I have added God-Hungry to my blogroll at Grace Digest.
Royce

By: Royce Ogle

Royce Ogle — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:45:39 +0000

Jim,
What a great post, great thoughts.
In my view, #3 will over shadow everything else. Knowing without question that the man behind the podium loves me unconditionally makes all the difference.
Thanks for sharing these truths with us.
Royce