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Run for your Soul!
By Mike YaconelliRecently I was talking to a youth minister about her church—which she described as a constant center of ministry and activity. While in awe of all the church was doing, I wondered what price the staff was paying.
"Oh," she said, "all of us on staff work 70 to 90 hours a week. When we were hired, it was explained to us that the time is short and those who want to be in God’s ministry need to be committed. One of the board members told me, ’We can rest when we get to heaven.’"
I didn’t reply. I was stunned.
My silence made the moment noticeably awkward. Finally I said, "Sounds to me like your minister is a workaholic."
"No," she replied defensively, "he just has a real missionary heart."
"No," I said impulsively, "he’s definitely a workaholic."
She changed the subject, but I haven’t been able to shake our conversation. In this age of the megachurch, our culture worships doing. We put busy people on pedestals—especially if the busyness results in bigger and more.
But when you take the pagan worship of busyness and add to it the biblical mandate to reach the world, you have a lethal combination. The church has baptized busyness and activity and basically formed a pact with the devil. This pact has succeeded in silencing those who criticize the trend toward hectic, overworked, burned-out, spiritually dry ministers who—in the "name of God"—neglect their families, their souls, and their physical well-being.
If I can be so audacious as to "blaspheme" the Gospel of Growth, I respectfully suggest this modern rush to urgency is not only wrong, it’s arrogance gone mad.
The moment we believe the Kingdom of God is dependent on you or me, we’ve either experienced a schizophrenic episode or we’ve misunderstood our roles as Christians.
Yes, we are to be salt and light. Yes, we are to "go into all the world." Yes, we are to "make disciples." But last time I checked, it took Jesus three years of concentrated effort to make 12 disciples—and it took them the rest of their lives to understand what discipleship means. Last time I checked, Paul suggests we are in Christ, not working for him.
If you’re a youth worker in a church in which the Gospel of Growth rules, RUN! If your senior minister is a winsome, captivating, entrepreneurial workaholic, grab your soul and get out before it’s too late.
But when you blow the whistle on the workaholic or rebel against the Gospel of Growth or suggest that God might be calling you to stop adding more activities and people and start growing the ones you have, your very commitment to Christ is questioned. Then you’re isolated, criticized, told you’re not a "team player"—and finally condemned.
Desperate to find someone to tell you you’re not crazy, you find no one in the church who will stand with you and refuse to bow to the altar of Growth.
But now you have someone to stand with you.
I’m telling you that you’re not crazy. You’re not lazy. You’re not uncommitted.
And by the way, before the disciples of evangelism start shouting about the need to evangelize now, may I remind you of how many times Jesus said to the people he healed, "Don’t tell anyone. Keep your mouth shut" (Matt 8:4, Mark 7:36, 8:26, 9:9, Luke 5:14, 8:56). Not only did he tell those he healed to keep quiet, but he also told his own disciples on numerous occasions not to tell anyone (Matthew 16:20, Mark 8:30, Luke 9:21).
Obviously evangelism is an important goal and calling of the church. But evangelism is not a justification for busyness, exhaustion, burnout, or the destruction of families. Many evangelistic missionary organizations have a reputation for leaders who’ve burned themselves out on the altar of evangelism. And then—when these charismatic, driven leaders collapse under the weight of their maddening schedules—they’re tossed aside for the next leaders who’ll also self-destruct.
Youth workers, you haven’t been called to crazy, maddening schedules. You haven’t been called to reach every student for Christ. You haven’t been called to fix all the kids in your youth groups. The weight of your youth groups isn’t on your shoulders. Your calling is to be faithful to Christ and to your families—and to reach those you can. Growth is not the gospel. More and bigger are not fruits of the Spirit.
A few suggestions:
- Ask that your staff meetings be changed to talk about Jesus and your souls rather than business.
- Ask for one day a week to spend on your soul—away from the office—as part of your job description.
- Ask for a personal resource budget so you can read books that will help keep your soul intact.
- Ask for a week every two months to spend alone, in silence, praying and reading and resting as part of your job description.
- If your senior pastor is a workaholic who can’t understand anyone who isn’t a workaholic, quit and find a new job.
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