DISCIPLE SHIFT “FROM LIVING WELL TO LEADING WELL”
3 John 1:2 NIV
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION
Remember when we got on a plane and got instructions before takeoff that said “If the air pressure in the cabin drops suddenly, the oxygen mask will come out. Pull the oxygen mask towards you, put it over your mouth and nose, hook the rubber on your head, and breathe out as usual. Passengers bringing children must wear a mask first, before putting a mask on your child.”
Have you ever thought that when that happened, we should have helped our children first, but in fact, how can we help our children if we are not helped ourselves? This is not selfish, but instead, by being able to breathe properly, we can also help our children and even others in need.
This is also true in our leadership journey, whether as iCare Leader, iCare Coach or Pastor.
OUR BEING MORE THAN OUR DOING
In leading or shepherding, we tend to do everything and be busy for the Lord. Our lives are filled with service, work and trying to love others. Sometimes we forget that our character (Our Being) is more important than our activities (Our Doing).
We are stuck with busyness without producing anything productive and sometimes we will experience fatigue and stop in the middle of the road.
As a leader, we’ll always be needed by the people around us
(friends, families, members, co-workers, congregations)
BUT most importantly you’re alsoNEEDED by YOU.
Many things that we do as leaders in our ministry cause us to experience things such as fatigue and sometimes becoming out of focus, the many challenges and problems we face, as well as often taking up our time and energy, even to the point of overdoing it.
No one can do everything. Everyone has limitations, which if passed will cause fatigue, both physically, emotionally and mentally as well as spiritually. Limits of physical abilities are easier to see than mental, emotional and spiritual limits. Generally, if the limit of physical ability has been exceeded then a person will fall ill. In contrast to the limits of mental, emotional and spiritual abilities that are not immediately visible.
We need to keep these four things balanced in our lives so that we can lead better.
I believe that the greatest GIFT THAT YOU CAN GIVE your family and the world is
A HEALTHY YOU.
(Joyce Meyer)
Healthy emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.
There is no greater gift we can give to others other than our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health.
God created us as complete human beings in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). These images and likenesses include our physical, spiritual, emotional and mental dimensions.
Ignoring any of these aspects will have devastating consequences in both our relationships with God, others and ourselves. If we can integrate all of these, then we will be able to experience and enjoy His promises even better.
The Lord Jesus Himself in His ministry when He was on earth, with all His busyness, He still had time alone to fellowship with His Father, to maintain His health by sleeping, eating and walking from one place to another:
- Lord Jesus was alone to pray (Mark 1:35, Mark 6:46, Luke 5:16)
- Lord Jesus slept (Matthew 8:24)
- Lord Jesus ate with His disciples, with His apostles (Matthew 26:20, Luke 22:14)
- Lord Jesus taught, ministered from one place to another (Luke 8:1, Luke 13:22)
Healthy emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually starts with Self-Care.
WHAT IS SELF-CARE?
According to a clinical health psychologist named Helen L. Coons PhD, self-care can be said to be an action for physical, emotional, relationship, and maybe also professional, education, for some people, can be interpreted as a spiritual well-being that reflects the way we take care of ourselves at the most basic level.
Basically, self-care is taking care of ourselves by doing things that are beneficial for us. But many people think that self-care is a form of someone’s selfishness. This kind of thinking is wrong. Thinking of other people is certainly not wrong, but we need care and attention too.
Here are some things we can apply to maintain our own health:
A. EMOTIONAL SELF-CARE
What is meant by Emotional Self-Care is an activity that can help us to understand and express our feelings in the most basic way. What things can be done to refresh us emotionally.
Things that can be done such as:
- Journal your feeling
- Talk to a coach, mentor or therapist
- Practice accepting your feelings – angry, sad, surprise, bad, fearful, happy
- Practice speaking in the mirror, it helps us to appreciate ourselves before others do, telling ourselves that we are created in a great and miraculous way, that what we do is good.
B. MENTAL SELF-CARE
Mental Self-Care is an activity that aims to meet needs and increase a sense of personal well-being. Taking time to refresh will help us to improve our mental state.
Things that can be done such as:
- Read a book
- Learn a new skill
- Tidy up one small section of your home
- Unplug from all technology for at least an hour
- Try out a new hobby.
C. PHYSICAL SELF-CARE
We need to pay attention to our physical health if we are to do our jobs efficiently and effectively. We long to have a healthy body and a healthy mind in doing all our activities, so that we can maximize what God has entrusted to our lives. If our body is sick, then we cannot do our activities properly.
Things that can be done such as:
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating healthy food
- Go for a jog, walk, swim or bike ride
- Drink enough water throughout the day.
D.SPIRITUAL SELF-CARE
We really need to take care of our spiritual life, how we have special time with God. Experiencing spiritual growth in the Lord and experiencing walking with Him in our daily lives. We don’t want our Christian journey to be limited to religious ceremonies, habits or routines that in the end we don’t experience growth in God.
Things that can be done such as:
- Spend time with God
- Praising and worshipping Him through praise and worship songs
- Read the bible routinely
- Read books – Christian books, devotion
It takes the right understanding in a leadership, that we need to take care of our lives well, take care of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. When our lives are right and balanced, then by God’s grace we will lead rightly.
Let’s take care of our health together, because we can’t give, serve and care for others from what we don’t have.
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Take care of yourself first.
As leaders, God entrusts us with His redeemed sheep for us to lead and shepherd. Therefore, we need to take care of ourselves, our teachings, our character, even more so that our lives are continuously pleasing to God. Live an obedient and faithful life doing what Jesus did.
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
– Acts 20:28 –
Source : Global Discipleship Team
Next: GOD’S WAITING ROOM
