Sprint or Marathon?

What’s your picture of ministry? What does it mean for you to give your “all” for God? For many, it looks like working as hard as you can. It means putting in the extra hours. Giving that bit more. Sure, you might say, that’s what Christian service and sacrifice is about. It means putting others first, considering their needs before mine. Certainly there is truth in that. Jesus clearly indicated that his calling was that of a servant. In fact, the whole Gospel of Mark focuses around Jesus’ comment in Mark 10:45, where he observes that even he came to serve, not be served. 

However, sometimes we have too narrow a view of that service. A better question to ask than the one with which we began is, “What does a lifetime of ministry look like for you?” Or, “How can you ensure you will be in ministry for the whole of your life?” Sadly, too often people enter ministry and approach it as though it is a sprint, when it is a lifelong marathon. As a result, they don’t “pace” themselves. 

No marathon runner tries to sprint the whole race, they pace themselves so that they have the energy to sprint at the finish. In ministry, we can ensure we’ll have the energy to sprint to the finish if we care for our own health and well-being. This means taking appropriate holidays and working a healthy number of hours each week—actually relaxing. It involves being a lifelong learner. Training for ministry is not limited to formal courses, such courses should equip and stimulate you to engage in learning your whole life. It means ensuring that your physical body is cared for (exercise, having check-ups at the doctor, a good diet). It also means having healthy relationships, both with God, and with other people. That is, looking after yourself both emotionally and spiritually.

Imagine what you could do in a lifetime of ministry, compared to a sprint of a few years. 

This post was written by Dr Nigel Pegram - one of the contributors to Axx leadership courses.