HOW TO MANAGE TIME, ENERGY AND RESOURCES IN MINISTRY (IDENTIFYING THE CORE; BECOMING MORE PRODUCTIVE) BY PASTOR BIMBO ANIMASHAUN FREE
Strategic wisdom in ministry is to spend more time with people who place value on what you carry and who are relevant to the future of your calling.
Religious thinking tells you that you give everyone equal attention in terms of time, energy and resources.
But even our Lord Jesus Christ, the Pattern Son, and the ultimate Leader, never pursued that line of assumption.
Jesus loved everyone equally but He didn’t spend the same QUANTITY OF TIME with everyone — He was always with His apostles, teaching and training them because of what they represented in the future of the Church.
He would talk to the multitudes in public, giving them parables but anytime He was with His apostles, He would tell them DEEP KINGDOM SECRETS.
Now that’s a strategy that conserves the energy of a leader and that guarantees productivity in all that he does.
One of the worst things that can happen to a man of God in ministry is to dissipate TOO MUCH LIFE AND ENERGY on people who don’t place value on what he carries or people who don’t represent the future of his ministry thereby wasting the investments of the man of God in their lives on the altar of frivolities.
It amounts to labouring much but bringing in little, but I strongly believe that SIMPLE STRATEGIC WISDOM can prevent such “misfortune” in ministry.
See, friend, the oil of God upon your life is too precious for you to allow it to waste, or to allow someone to treat it like a trash.
There’s something SO PRECIOUS that you carry upon your life that God will not allow it to be trampled upon — God doesn’t cast His pearls to swine.
Look at what Jesus said here:
MATTHEW 10:12-13
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: BUT IF IT BE NOT WORTHY, LET YOUR PEACE RETURN TO YOU.
Powerful scripture here!!! Isn’t it? That means you carry something SO PRECIOUS upon your life that Heaven will not allow it to waste — that’s why a wise minister is very STRATEGIC and INTENTIONAL in dispensing the Grace of God upon his life.
Dear minister, don’t dissapate energy on rebels in ministry. Don’t dissipate energy on those who dishonour what you carry.
Don’t expend too much time, energy and resources on those who will waste what you deliver to them.
It may be very hard to absorb but unwillingness to take this counsel leads to future pains and heartaches in ministry.
Throughout His earthly ministry, you would never find Jesus in any INTIMATE TALK with Judas Iscariot — He knew the kind of person he was and He kept him at arm’s length.
But then, you would see Jesus spending more time with Peter, James and John as we saw on the Mount of Transfiguration – Matt. 17:1-5 because of what they represented in the future of the Church — Peter and John later became part of the Pillars of the Church – Gal.2:9, that’s why it’s expedient for Jesus to spend quality time in ministering to them.
Someone might say, “Oh, dear Pastor, but the same Peter you’re trying to celebrate here denied Jesus three times”
Yes he did but he had A HEART — a heart of meekness, brokeness and humility such that after he realized his fault, he repented.
You know, the Bible says Jesus didn’t commit Himself to men because He knew all men.
JOHN 2:24
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
He knew THE HEARTS of all men (including Peter’s and Judas’) and He could differentiate between the two.
Little wonder, despite the loquacious nature of Peter, always talking, talking and talking, Jesus kept labouring on him and you know what; just in one single day, Peter brought three thousand souls into the Kingdom — that’s on the Day of Pentecost – Acts 2:38-41 plus many other exploits recorded “to his credit” in the New Testament.
Dear minister, know this early in ministry and know peace — you can LOVE all men equally but you can’t “LABOUR” on all men equally — you can’t give everyone the same amount of attention, else you will shoot yourself in the leg — you cannot afford not to be strategic as a minister.
When you look at Scripture, you will realize that Moses spent more time with Joshua, and not with the rebel generation – Exo.24:12; Elijah spent more time with Elisha, not with the sons of the prophets – 2Kgs.2:1-15, 2Kgs.3:11.
David spent more time with Solomon as recorded in Proverbs Chapter 4; he didn’t spend same amount of time with Absalom or Adonijah.
Jesus spent more time with His apostles and disciples and not with the multitudes – Mk.3:14, 4:10-11, and then Paul spent more time with Timothy, and not with those around him whose followership was questionable – Phil.2:19-22.
In fact, Paul saw Timothy in the light of generational progression such that he committed sacred teachings to him for onward transmission to “the next generations”.
2 TIMOTHY 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
So, dear minister, you need to spend quality time with your core — don’t give too much attention to those who only want to take a momentary advantage of you at the expense of those who represent your future in the call.
Don’t tender another man’s vineyard but yours is left unattended to, and overgrown with weeds.
SONG OF SOLOMON 1:6
Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; THEY MADE ME THE KEEPER OF THE VINEYARDS; BUT MINE OWN VINEYARD HAVE I NOT KEPT.
Train your core leaders — the inner caucus. Pray with them. Teach them the Word. Lay hands on them regularly. Rebuke and correct them in love. Don’t lower the standard for them — the standard you LOWER in one generation will be DESTROYED in the next generation.
Love them. Give to them — time, energy and resources. Pour yourself into them. Don’t pour yourself into other people while someone else is the one training your core leaders for you.
We have a preponderance of scriptures that tell us that Jesus was always spending time with His apostles — pouring Himself into them and revealing the deep mysteries of the Kingdom to them. Here are four of them here:
MARK 4:10-11
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
MARK 3:14
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
LUKE 6:12-13
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
ACTS 4:13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Therefore, dear minister, do like Jesus. If Jesus was very strategic with it, then you can’t do lesser. You can’t be more catholic than the pope.
This is a divine strategy that delivers you from vain labour in ministry and that preserves the posterity of your work.
Put structure to the way and manner you spend time with folks and dispense your energy and resources, and you wouldn’t be a victim of vain labour in ministry.
May the Lord give us understanding!!!
Amen!!!
I hope this is a blessing Sirs and Mas?
Miracles Happen Everyday!!!
Shalom!!!
Credit:
Bimbo Animashaun Teaching Ministries – BATEM
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