As the pastor of a new church, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of saying one simple phrase: “I would love to do that, but not yet.”
There will always be opportunities to love, serve and care for our community. But if we are doing so much good that our team is burned out and our leadership is shaky, we are not doing long term good at all. We are in the business of raising up people to love, serve and care for our community. We are not in the business of burning people out.
Here’s one guidepost I use for my life, my family and our team: Let’s keep loving Jesus more than what we do for him. If we ever get out of balance there, we are serving out of our own, limited resources. When we stay rooted and balanced in our time with Jesus, a thriving relationship will lead us to love, serve and care for our community well.
Do I want to help everyone I see that is in need? Of course. Am I ready to help everyone? No. But one good decision after another will continue to build this church family into a gathering of compassionate leaders that rise up to meet the needs of our community in a healthy and balanced way.
“I would love to do that, but not yet.”
