Healthy People = Healthy Leaders

Well, today I took the plunge. I stepped out and did it. I've been offering excuse after excuse after excuse as to why I didn't have time to do it. I was too busy, to tired, unwell, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But today I looked at my excuses, turned my back on them, and walked straight up to that....eliptical, got on and sweated. Yes, today I started working out again. Now this might sound silly, but the sad part is that it's rediculously true.


You see, I started thinking about my life. Here I am serving God as a pastor in a large, growing, contemporary church. I'm going to school to complete a dream I've had for sometime now. I'm training and consulting with churches around the country on what it means to be an equipping church. But I'm failing miserably. I'm failing in seeing myself and my family as vital components in making all these things a reality. First off, If "self" isn't cared for, then none of these other wonderful things can or will happen. But equally important, if the foundation of my family becomes compromised, then everything else begins to fall apart.

Now, I'm not saying my family is compromised...not yet anyway. But if I don't STOP, then yes, they will be. However, I'm saying that what I now see is that I've neglected self in an effort to serve others. I've been spending time in the office doing the "lord's business" or spending time with others in an effort to minister to them, and this has replaced the necessity to take care of myself so I can be fully healthy to reach out in ministry to others. This has got to stop...GOT TO!

Today I began to stop. I began the process of stopping by going to the gym and sweating. I cannot tell you how good I felt when I left. Almost a new man. But the true test is what happens tomorrow...well we'll just have to wait and see.

The point I'm trying to make is this. If we claim to be equipping leaders and we are so busy equipping, developing, empowering and releasing God's people, AND YET, we are not "equipping" ourselves OR our families, then what good are we? We've missed out on our first priorities. Equipping leadership is just as much about self care as it is about others care. We can try to "take care of others" all we want to, but when it comes down to it, if we're not taking care of ourselves, then we've missed the boat all together.

Well, I'm off. I still haven't taken a shower since coming back from the gym. I don't think I will just yet either. It might be good for me to sit in my sweat and get use to it. It's going to happen alot more from now on.