By Pastor Chris McQuay

I love my car.  Okay, that doesn’t sound spiritual.  I really like my car.  It’s a 5 year old Ford T-Bird…canary yellow.  It’s a convertible.  It does more than just take me from place to place.  It allows the wind to blow through my hair and the cobwebs out of my mind.  It’s exhilarating.  It’s fun. It’s also one of my prayer rooms.  Driving is an experience.  But it can’t give me all of this “joy” without a bit of maintenance.  It’s not a new car after all.  Maintenance is a day-to-day, year-to-year process that is continued throughout the time that you own your car.  But as you can guess, this article is not about cars.  It’s about you and me, and our need for maintenance in our personal lives and ministries.  Pastoring is a challenging calling.  It requires more maintenance than most.  And frankly, my sister in ministry, if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will.  Yes, others will contribute to your wellbeing. (See point two.) But you must take ownership of this particular “car.”  With routine maintenance, you and I will stay healthy and productive.  I recommend three categories of maintenance: daily routine, support systems, and recycling.

1.       Daily Routine Maintenance  -  Daily maintenance includes regular times of prayer, as well as spontaneous times of prayer throughout the day.  Prayer includes taking a moment to be still before the Lord and listen to His directives for your life and for your ministry.  Keep a notebook nearby and jot down the things the Lord speaks to your heart, so that you can make sure that you follow His guidance.  Routine daily maintenance also includes times of:

·         Praise

·         Bible study

·         Ministry study with books and tapes

2.       Support network -  “No man is an island,” is not scripture, but it is a biblical principle.  We all need people to help us to maintain our spiritual growth, and the growth of our ministries.  However, do not wait until things are in crisis before you approach someone for help.  Develop relationships that can give you PRACTICAL help in dealing with issues, situations and people.  These relationships need to be ongoing, although some of them you will need to keep in contact more than others.  Make sure you’re involved in some sort of small group that will ask you pertinent questions and keep you accountable.  Also seek to establish relationships with a number of people who can be:

·         Prayer partners

·         Mentors

·         Sounding boards & and laughing buddies

3.       Recycling  -  If things are not going in the right direction or at the right speed, do not be afraid to cycle back to the place where you first noticed things were not working.   There may even times when you need to cycle all the way back to the beginning and start over.  That’s okay.  Take the basic materials, recycle them and start over.  Life is all about change.  Change with the times and seasons.  God’s Will last month, may not be the direction He wants for you to go this month.  Be willing to be flexible and change.  Ask yourself the following questions:

·         Is what I’m feeling discouragement, a normal but not welcome result of stress and overwork?

·         If this is discouragement, what lifestyle changes can I make to reduce stress?

·         If the ministry, in which I’m involved, is coming up short, when did I first notice the problem?  What should I do about it? 

Take care of yourself, woman of God.  Don’t apologize for the need.  Recognize you are worth the time and investment, even if no one else besides God does.  This is the only “car” you have, take care of it.

Posted under Pastor's Wives