A couple of paragraphs stood out to me in this recent interview with J.I. Packer over many things including the state of the church in Canada, and encouragement to those in ministry.
It stood out to me for the simple reason that it was an answer to prayer. Since beginning Bible College and getting used to a new routine, all my devotional discipline has been shot through and I’m trying to work out a new way to keep being nourished by the Word in my week to week activities. I love a good, lengthy, not-running-to-a-clock devotional time, and the 8am starts, church ministries, and studies for subjects is a real test. After praying with some fellas this week about getting the balance of freedom and discipline in devotional life, the following couple of answers really provoked me in this area.
“KS: What would you say to someone starting out in ministry? What guidance would you offer?
JP: I would say that, when you are in the ministry, you must take charge of your own time, your own program. You must discipline yourself. You should make yourself a timetable for the working week and try to stick to it. There are two reasons for that. First, nobody is going to supervise you very carefully. If you allow yourself to be lazy and undisciplined, no one might notice. And the second is that undiscipline, laziness and disorder are, from Satan’s point of view, virtues he values.After 20 years of not achieving very much, the minister will have a nervous breakdown, burn out and so on and have to be laid off work. It’s inner disorder that produces these burnouts and breakdowns most of the time. People who work very hard but have taken charge of their own lives – and their lives are orderly – don’t have burnouts. When you are making the best use of the time God gives you, things are orderly. You are living realistically within the plan you have made for yourself and you don’t have the inner frustrations that bring burnout.
KS: But you might have a lot of other frustrations.
JP: You may have other frustrations. Being a pastor of a congregation is always a demanding and difficult business. If you’re going to take pastoral care seriously, you are constantly thinking and praying how you can get the parish to move forward, this way or that way, people converted or straight with the Lord – that won’t give you burnout. That will exercise your pastor’s heart. I would tell the young minister that this is the way it will be in ministry and to get his life in order. You have to find your own way with God devotionally. I can only say you ought, as a regular thing, to be getting words and thoughts of encouragement and visions of glorious things from the Lord. If you’re not getting those, you are in a rut. If you are in a rut, for goodness sake get help. Become a partner with someone you are accountable to. Walk together.”
Thank you Lord!
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