IF I WERE STARTING OVER…

I was meditating on this thought…if I were starting over in ministry, what would I do differently, and what would I do the same?  It raised some interesting questions and thoughts in my mind.  For the sake of space, I’ll just bullet point some thoughts and let you think them through.

I would do these again

·        Focus on relationships. It has always been my core value, and I wouldn’t change that.

·        Be transparent.  Personal honesty is one of the hardest and the most powerful things we can have.

·        Be myself. I realized very early on that being who I am is the best I have to give.

·        Smell the coffee.  I never became a workaholic. I always had time to take a few minutes with anyone, or just myself.

·        Be natural. I’ve never been any good at acting spiritual or putting on some kind of religious attitudes.

·        Travel light. I have not carried offenses. I let them go quickly. They were much too heavy to drag along behind me, like a cotton sack that never gets emptied.

·        Keep my sense of humor. Laughing at myself has been a key to emotional balance.

·        Love people. I did then, and I do now.  Nothing will turn me from that.

I would do these differently

·        Formation and soul care.  I’d give more priority to replenishing my inner life.

·        Write more. I’ve learned that writing is, for me, a good way to corral the thoughts, concepts and truths life brings.

·        Read more widely. I’d self-educate rather than depend on a degree.

·        Spend more time and energy in demonstration and less in exhortation.

·        Communication skills. I’d work harder on growth in this area.

·        Emphasize principles and minimize rules

·        Celebrate diversity more than conformity

·        Meditate on the Word much more. It shapes our heart.

·        Equip more, perform less.

·        Learn more and teach more on how to hear from God

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, but it is what comes to my mind this morning as I sit here thinking about the question.  The things I would do differently are things I am doing more of now.  Pretty sure that is moving in the right direction.