Early in my career a senior chaplain told me, “A chaplain can do nothing and get away with it, or a chaplain can work themselves to death and (pause for effect) get away with it.” Finding the balance where you’re serving Christ but not thinking everything depends on you requires constant consideration. Feeling refreshed is definitely more comfortable than being stretched until you say like Bilbo Baggins, I feel like too little butter scraped over too much bread. But is comfort your most fruitful course of action?
There is far too much ministry to do on this terrestrial ball
for you or I to accomplish even a fraction of it, but that is why God is
employing his church all over the world. Knowing this, he has entrusted to you
a few acres, a few sheep, and a few years to steward. What are your priorities
in life and ministry? If you succeed in everything except what God has called
you to, will he be pleased?
A chaplain who has been at the gospel work all day (at work, at church, and at home) will have no trouble sleeping because he has been spent for God’s sake (Psalm 127:1-2); a chaplain who has spent the day poorly in his own pursuits may find that sleep eludes him (Ecclesiastes 5:12, Daniel 2:1). On the other side, working so hard on everything that nothing is accomplished, or something important gets missed. The balance is in spreading the right amount of butter over the right amount of bread.
Consider today where you can work to publish the good news that God saves sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, who has been working from the beginning, and is working still, so that you can rejoice in the good work that he has given you to do!
It’s a father’s job to be
exhausted. ~ Matt Chandler
Key Verse: In the morning sow your seed, and at evening
withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that or
whether both alike will be good. ~ Ecclesiastes 11:6
More
1. If we knew which events would be remembered, which
conversations would be meaningful, which briefings would bear fruit, and which
risks would be rewarded it would cut a lot of our exhaustion because we’d only
do things that matter. I heard someone say that if they could turn back time
three hours their life would be radically different. But we don’t know what
will be formative or meaningful, so our call is to run and not grow weary
(Isaiah 40:31)!
2. As we eagerly await the hour of Christ’s return and the
consummation of history, we must remember that the blessed worker is found at
work when his master returns (Matthew 24:45-51). If Christ returned today, would he find you in the work he left you?
3. It’s tempting to view your home and family as a sanctuary space away from work, but your family ought to be your first priority in your God-given work; in fact if you fail at your family, your faith is null and you’ll be counted an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). Many chaplains have determined not to bring work home, but to be fully present. Maybe it's helpful to have a landmark that work cannot cross, such as a telephone pole, or an intersection, or an off-ramp. Would it be helpful for you to set a boundary like that? You'll have to consider things like duty phones, TDYs, and places where work blends with your family, such as at worship, but imperfect boundaries are better than no boundaries.
4. Further Resources:
Hamilton, James M. Work and Our Labor in the Lord.
Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.
York, Hershael. “Tanya York on Marriage, Family, and
Ministry.” Pastor Well – Episode 5. SBTS, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8907fTzVWR4
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