closed: without power

March 12, 2006

i was at the club a few fridays ago and saw a sign hanging in the locker-room. it was a notice informing members that the club would be closed for one day. the hotel would be making repairs to their electrical systems, leaving the club without power for one day.

something struck me as a read that. i believe any member who read that sign would be understanding of the situation. i highly doubt that anyone would have serious issues with the club being closed. as humans, we seem to understand that when something is broken, we fix it (though some people are a little more lenient with this rule). we know that using broken things is not very productive or useful, so we tend not to use it until it's repaired.

i wonder why the same isn't true with our dealings with people. in church ministry, if a leader needs to step out and take a break, our almost immediate response is to question their motives. can i suggest that if a leader makes an assertion that they need to step out of ministry for a season, they are waving a red flag that says they are broken and in great need of repair. leaders get burnt out. ministry can be extremely draining on our leaders, emotionally, spiritually and physically. there are constant demands being made on them from church elders, congregation members and church staff.

we need to be a lot more understanding of the people and realize that our leaders are human too. just because God has called them to ministry, it doesn't mean they somehow have superpowers and can withstand more abuse than other people. they too, need time for rest, time in solitude with God, time for rejuvenation. they must be able to find time for this in their weeks. the church should support them in this too and free up their schedules so that it can happen.

another thing about this sign...the club would have been completely useless without any power! in the same way, our Christian leaders are useless without power. without power, they are left to human wisdom, human plans and human strategies. these efforts are futile. psalm 127:1 [NIV], says "unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." they need the power from on high in order to make impact for the kingdom of God.

the ONLY way our leaders can have power, is by remaining connected to the source. Jesus, in john 15:5-6 [NIV], says "i am the vine; you are the branches. if a man remains in me and i in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. if anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." they remain in God, by spending time with Him, by reading His Word, by prayer, by reflection, solitude and silence.

i say all these things, because i know what it's like to have constant demands and expectations placed on you in leadership. i've seen other leaders experience the same problems too. as a church body, it's our responsibility to care for those that lead us and support them in whatever way we can.

Posted by Leo Chan at March 12, 2006 9:10 AM