Life In The Margin
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January 29, 2011
Dr. Swenson starts the book by sharing how progress, which was suppose to give us more time to do the things we want, has actually robbed us of proper margins in our life. The technology that was suppose to take our work and simplify it, has actually served to help us live marginless lives that are destroying our relationships, emotions, finances and spiritual selves. As I was reading this book I kept thinking to myself, "This is a really good book for church planters to read." Church planters live outside the margin most of their life. Planting a new church is a call, in many ways to live outside proper margins. We race around setting up meetings, organizing marketing campaigns, setting up gyms, theaters and cafeterias, only to tear it down again. Often the week becomes a blur and planters get burned out while running on the hamster wheel. Interestingly enough, I find myself on the same wheel. Traveling from state to state, working with multiple planters, staff members, lay people and board members. How easy it is to get trapped in the vicious cycle of performance. If you are a Type-A, you struggle with this more than most. What is the answer? Slowing down and creating proper boundaries in life. Remembering that God's call to us is primarily to be in relationship with Him and then with the family he gave us. Neglecting these areas of our lives was not God's intended purpose when he called us and yet I see the train wrecks many planters make of these two relationships. Here is a plain and simple statement: The best gift you can give your congregation and staff is a healthy emotional, spiritual and relational you. If you can keep that in perspective, God will do the rest. Don't fall into the trap of losing the margins in your life. Busyness does not equal effectiveness. | |
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Posted 1/29/2011 in Church Planting | 0 Comments - Add Comment |
Over the last few days I have been engrossed in a book called