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How to Pace Yourself in Life and Ministry

40 Days of Love

God's Power to Change Your Life

The Daniel Plan Study Guide with Streaming Video

You don’t have to be a prophet to know that technology has made the world smaller, more complex, and faster. You live a much faster lifestyle than your parents did. Your children will live an even faster lifestyle than you do. As you and I know, pastors aren’t immune to time pressures. With meetings, ever-shrinking sermon preparation, and a crowded pastoral care schedule, our office calendar can stay full if we’re not careful. Then we get home and rush our kids to after-school events, grab a quick dinner, run to the hospital, go home, jump in bed, and hope there are no late-night phone calls. We can identify with what a USA Today article said about life for many people. “Today people are souped up, stressed out, and over scheduled. In this brave new world boundaries between work and family are disappearing. Everybody is mobile and every moment is scheduled.” The Bible tells us that hurry and worry and scurry have dramatic negative effects on our life and ministries. If you’re serious about slowing your life down to a more humane pace of life, you’re going to have to make five countercultural changes in your lifestyle.

1. Learn contentment.

It starts in the heart. Paul says this about contentment in Philippians 4:12: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (NIV). Whether we’re pastors or not, it’s not in our nature to be content. We want life to be different – better. But we can’t slow down our lives unless we start being content with what we have. Contentment doesn’t mean you don’t want your church to grow. Contentment doesn’t mean you don’t go after your God-given vision for your church. It just means a bigger church won’t make you any happier. Your relationship with Christ is where you find your true joy. Until you come to that conclusion, you won’t slow down.

2. Obey the fourth commandment.

Most of us would bristle if we were told that we were consistently breaking the Ten Commandments. But, pastor, many of us are. Remember the fourth commandment? We’re to take one day off every week. Are you doing that? For most of us, that’s not Sunday. We’re preaching, meeting with people, and overseeing the worship services – we’re not resting. It doesn’t matter which day it is, but we need a day off. There have been times when I thought I was too busy to take time off. It never worked. I became more irritated with my family. I became more tired. And I didn’t get as much done. It was so prideful of me to think that what I was doing at that moment was more important than listening to what God said about how he made me. I live a very fast life. But every Monday I slow down. I’m not available on Monday. I know a pastor who had a member get mad at him because he tried to call him several times on Monday and couldn’t get a hold of him. The pastor said, “Sorry, but that’s my day off.” The member said, “The devil doesn’t take a day off.” And the pastor said, “You’re right. And if I didn’t, I’d be just like the devil.”

3. Pause and pray before deciding.

Stop and pray about the decisions you make on a regular basis. That doesn’t mean you wait a year before deciding something. I’m talking about 10 to 15 seconds. As you sit in an elders meeting or a counseling session, ask, “God, what do you want me to do in this instance?” How does this help you slow down? You’re pausing to get perspective. Perspective is what helps you make wise decisions. Most of us just want to make decisions faster, but it’s perspective that really makes better decisions.

4. Learn to say no.

You can’t keep adding things to your schedule without eliminating some. Every time you add a new activity to your schedule, you need to take something off. Whenever I used to see one of my mentors, Peter Drucker, he would say, “Don’t tell me what new thing you’re doing. Tell me what you’ve stopped doing.” The mark of leadership is knowing what not to do. Most of us have a hard time saying no to opportunities. So ask yourself two questions every time you’re given a new opportunity.

- Is it worth it? With every opportunity you’re given, you need to ask yourself whether it’s worth your energy, effort, reputation, and ultimately, your time. Your time is your life. And you need to decide whether the new opportunity is worth a portion of your life.
- What am I going to give up? You can’t just keep adding, adding, and adding. You have to give something up to take hold of an opportunity. What will it be?

5. Trust God’s timing.

Impatience is often why we hurry. It’s simply a lack of trust. When you’re impatient you’re saying, “God, I don’t really trust you. I don’t think you have my best interest at heart. You don’t know when I need it, and I’m in a hurry.” Is fast always better? No. It is not. Not always. God has a plan for your life. You know that. But he also has a timetable for your life – and a timetable for your church, for that matter. Unfortunately, God never explains his timetable. And that can be frustrating! At Saddleback we waited for years to get our own land and our own building. I couldn’t understand God’s timing. But God knew exactly what he was doing. Our church campus is visible from one of the busiest freeways in our community. It was a freeway that didn’t exist when we first started looking for land. That’s God’s timing. It’s painful when you’re in a hurry and God’s not. But it’s part of maturing, part of growing up. Children have to learn the difference between “no” and “not yet.” God knows the right time and the right way. He has a plan and a timetable. Ministry is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. God doesn’t want you to burn out. Whether you’re 30 or 70, he doesn’t want to wear you out before he can complete his purposes through you. Learning to slow down might be the most important ministry skill you learn this year.

Recent Articles

What’s the Difference Between Leading and Managing?

If you want to know the temperature of your church, put the thermometer in your own mouth. That’s what my old ministry professor used to say—and he was right. You can’t take your church any farther than you’ve gone yourself. That’s why leadership matters so much in ministry.You’ve probably heard it said: Everything rises or falls on leadership. That’s never more true than in your church. I’ve seen churches in great locations that struggle, and churches in terrible locations that thrive. The difference is leadership. And, thankfully, you don’t have to have a charismatic personality to be a great leader.What makes a leader effective? Not charisma, but vision.Leadership Starts with VisionWhether you lead a whole church or a specific ministry area, your primary job is to keep the vision clear. You need to be able to answer this question: Why are we here? If you don’t know, you can’t lead.When I served as senior pastor at Saddleback, my job was to keep us focused on the original New Testament purpose of the church. That got harder the larger our church became. When we were small, people came because they were spiritually hungry—not for programs. But as we grew and added ministries, we began attracting more transfers from other churches. And every one of those transfers came with baggage.Often the first thing out of their mouths was, “At our old church, we did it like this . . .”I had to learn to graciously and repeatedly say: “We’re not trying to copy another church’s vision. We’re pursuing this vision.”So we communicated that vision over and over—in our new members class, our church newsletter, and just about every way we could. The “why” behind what we did was always front and center.The Difference Between Leading and ManagingSo what’s the difference between leading and managing?It comes down to this: Management is about analysis, problem-solving, and planning. Leadership is about vision and values—and communicating both.Most churches are over-managed and under-led. That leads to what I call “paralysis of analysis.”It’s like, “Ready . . . aim . . . aim . . . aim . . .” but they never fire.Don’t get me wrong. Churches need management, too. Without it, you get the opposite problem: “Ready . . . fire!” with no aiming at all.You need both. But if you, as the leader, don’t clarify the vision and values, no one else will.Why Vision MattersProverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). Some people dream big dreams but never turn them into anything actionable. Vision is a pragmatic dream—a dream you can implement. It’s specific. Nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific.When I look back on Saddleback’s first service, I’m still amazed at what God has done. What began with just a small group of people and a simple vision grew into a global movement.That’s the power of a God-given vision.Pastor, Here’s What to Do NextAsk God to clarify your vision.Repeat it often to your church.Lead with vision. Manage with wisdom. Do both.But never let management crowd out your leadership. Because your people can’t follow where you haven’t led.

How to Adapt to Lead a Growing Church

Pastor, before your church can grow to the next level, you need to understand the stage you're in now. Different stages of church growth require different leadership skills. You won’t lead a church of 400 the same way you lead a church of 40.There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s by God’s design. But it does mean you need to be willing to grow and change if you want your church to do the same.Here’s a simple framework I’ve used for decades. It identifies three types of churches, each with unique structures and leadership needs:1. Single-Cell Churches (under 200 people)In a single-cell church, one group of people make up the entire church. There are only a few ministry groups, and relationships are close. Everyone knows everyone else. This stage often feels like a family.At this level, the pastor operates like an owner/operator. You do everything: printing bulletins, unlocking the church, sweeping floors, and preaching. You're the entrepreneur keeping everything going.Many pastors love this stage because it feels personal and manageable. But if your church is going to grow beyond this, something has to change.2. Multiple-Cell Churches (200-300 people)In this stage, the church includes multiple groups: small groups, Sunday school classes, men's and women's ministries, and more. It’s no longer possible for the pastor to do everything.The pastor’s role must shift to manager/supervisor. You begin building a team. You train and empower others. Instead of doing all the ministry yourself, your role is to lead others who do ministry.This is where many churches get stuck. The transition from operator to manager is difficult. You must learn to delegate and trust others with key responsibilities.Your worship services also need to improve. In a small church, people overlook imperfections because it's like family. But once your church hits 300, people are attending for different reasons. They may not have personal connections yet, so they’re evaluating the church based on the worship experience, teaching, and excellence.3. Multiple-Congregation Churches (400+ people)Larger churches function as a congregation of congregations. Ministries—like children’s, men’s, and women’s ministries—become self-contained congregations within the church, each with their own leaders and programs.At this level, the pastor must become an executive leader. This doesn’t mean controlling everything. In fact, you need to let go of many day-to-day decisions. The executive pastor and leadership team handle the details.Your primary roles become:Setting the visionPreaching and teachingMaking high-level decisionsAs the church grows, the pulpit becomes the most powerful tool to set direction. People follow the vision you cast from the stage.You Can’t Be Great at Every Stage—and That’s OkayIt’s rare to find a pastor who is naturally skilled at all three of these stages. Most leaders thrive in one. That’s why it’s so important to build a team that complements your gifts.Personally, I struggled in the manager stage. I was great doing it all myself or stepping back to lead at a high level—but not at managing. Saddleback got stuck for a time until I learned to surround myself with people who were strong supervisors and administrators.Wherever you are now, I want to encourage you: Stick to the vision God gave you. You might be hauling gear in and out of your garage every Sunday. I’ve been there too. Don’t give up. Trust God to grow you as he grows your church.How to Prepare for the Next StageIn a single-cell church, growth comes by adding new cells. Start more groups, more classes, even more services. Multiply your church’s connection points.In a multiple-cell church, improve the worship experience. Make it excellent and relevant. Recognize that people are no longer coming primarily because of friendships—they’re coming to see if your church is worth their time and trust.In a multiple-congregation church, focus on staff management. Delegate well. Develop leaders. Protect your time so you can lead with clarity and preach with power.As your church grows, your leadership must grow too.You don’t need to be everything. You just need to be willing to change. Let God shape you into the kind of leader your church needs at each stage.God has placed you in your church for a reason. Keep growing, and keep leading with vision and humility.

Jesus Is Praying for You, Pastor

“Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 (NIV)Pastor, before you preach your first sermon this week, counsel that couple, or walk into yet another meeting, take a breath and remember this: Jesus is already praying for you.He knows everything you’re about to face. He’s not surprised by the weight of ministry. He knows the email waiting in your inbox, the hospital visit coming on Wednesday, the spiritual attack you can’t quite name yet—and he’s already interceding.That’s what it means to be omniscient. He knows the past, present, and future—all at once. And in his perfect knowledge, he’s lifting you up in prayer.The night before the cross, Jesus told Peter, “I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me” (Luke 22:32 NCV). Jesus knew Peter was about to blow it. He knew the shame and self-doubt that would follow. But he prayed for Peter in advance—and he prayed with a view toward restoration and future ministry.In the same way, Jesus has already prayed you through what’s ahead.You may feel like you're running on fumes today. Maybe your heart is heavy from burdens your people can’t see. But Jesus sees. Jesus knows. And Jesus is praying.The Son of God is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you (Romans 8:34). That truth alone can carry you through anything you’ll face this week.You’re not leading alone. You’re not preaching alone. You’re not suffering alone.Jesus is with you—and he’s praying for you.

The Lies Your People Believe—and How to Counter Them

Pastor, every week when you stand before your congregation, you’re not just preaching to believers—you’re preaching into a world filled with competing worldviews. People bring those views into your church every Sunday. They shape how your members see relationships, success, money, purpose, and even God.Worldview matters. It’s not just academic or philosophical. People live their lives based on their worldview—whether they realize it or not. If you want to see transformation in your people, you must help them change how they view the world. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (NIV).Here are six of the most common worldviews that are shaping the people in your pews—and how God’s Word responds to each one.1. The one with the most toys wins.This is materialism. It’s the belief that life is about acquiring more. More stuff. More money. More success.But Jesus said, "Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Luke 12:15 NIV). Real life isn’t about what you own—it’s about who owns you. The greatest things in life aren’t things.2. I’ve got to think of myself first.This is the worldview of individualism. It’s the mindset behind many cultural slogans: “Have it your way.” “Obey your thirst.” “You deserve it.”It’s a self-centered life that destroys marriages, divides churches, and corrodes communities.Jesus taught the opposite: "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it" (Matthew 16:25 NLT).True life comes from giving yourself away—to God and to others.3. Do what feels good.This is hedonism—the belief that the goal of life is to feel good, be comfortable, and have fun.But Scripture is clear. The Message paraphrase says: "Are you addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied" (Proverbs 21:17).Chasing pleasure doesn’t satisfy. It leaves people empty. God created us for more than comfort—he created us for a calling.4. Whatever works for you.This is pragmatism. In today’s world, the only “wrong” seems to be telling someone else they’re wrong. Truth becomes subjective. People say, “If it works for you, that’s fine.”But the Bible warns us: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12 NIV).Truth isn’t whatever works. It’s what God says is right.5. God doesn’t exist.This is naturalism, or atheism. It claims that life is an accident, that there is no Creator and no ultimate purpose.But Paul writes: "Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God" (Romans 1:20 NLT).Creation points to a Creator. If there’s no God, life has no meaning. But God made you—and everyone you preach to—for a purpose.6. You are your own god.This is humanism—a worldview that says we are in control of our own destiny. It’s behind the belief that we’re the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls.But Romans 1:25 says, "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator" (NIV).Every human being is wired to worship. If we don’t worship God, we’ll worship something else—even ourselves.A Biblical WorldviewAll of these worldviews have consequences. And most people don’t even realize how deeply influenced they are by them.There’s only one worldview that leads to the life God has planned for you: a biblical worldview. The biblical worldview says: God created us for his purposes. We are not our own. We exist for his glory.Pastor, if you want to change people’s lives, help them change their worldview first. When their minds are renewed, their hearts will follow.

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