Balancing Life and Ministry! 

One of the workshops I taught at The M.O.M. Initiative Better Together Conference this month was on Balancing Life and Ministry, which is the subtitle of my Face-to-Face with Priscilla and Aquila Bible study. I talked about how we often feel like we're juggling more than balancing the many roles we play as women. Inevitably, one or more of the areas we're trying to juggle suffers when it slips out of our grasp.

The only way I am able to keep balance in my life is to prioritize the things that are the most important to me: serving God and my family. At this time in my life, serving God takes the form of writing and speaking, which often requires hours of solitude and lots of travel. But I also make sure to schedule in dates with my hubby and sometimes he can travel and serve with me now that he's retired. We also serve in ministry together by leading a prodigal's support group and couples Bible study. And when I'm spending time with my children and grandchildren, I set aside "work" and focus on them.   

That doesn't leave much time in my schedule for "extra" activities, and so I've had to learn to say no to some good things. Before I say "yes, I'm trying to remember to do two things:

1. Pray and ask God if it's something He wants me to do.

2. Assess if I have the time and energy to add this activity to my calendar.

If I sense God telling me to go for it, I know I must remove something from my calendar or I'll become unbalanced.  

I always say about mentoring that you can't add mentoring to an already over-crowded schedule. You'll be juggling and something else is going to fall through the cracks. This is something I've had to learn over the years. The old adage that you can do it all and be everything to everyone is a lie of the enemy. He knows that if he can keep you "busy," you'll soon feel you're too busy to be involved in ministry or serving the Lord. Busy is: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke!

Summer's almost over and often the craziness begins when the kids are back in school and all the fall activities seem to roll right into the holidays. Now is the time to take a look at your calendar and highlight in yellow time spent with God--things like daily quiet time, attending church, serving in a ministry or outreach, going to Bible study or small group, mentoring or being mentored, reading your Bible, Bible study with the kids/grandkids, praying with your children ....   

If there's not at least one yellow highlight on every day, what do you need to give up to add time with God in your day?

About His Work,

Janet

PS: California here I come-I'm excited to be back in Southern California speaking at YOU Lead in San Diego October 9-10. Hope to see many of my So Cal peeps there. 

PSS:Please send me your mentoring stories, and those of you with mentoring ministries please ask the M&M's if they would like to share their story with me for my upcoming book. Feel free to give them my email address.  

PSSS: Don't forget to sign up for my Monday Morning Blogs. The last Monday of the month is a Love Your Body series.