Overwhelmed in ministry....

"I am overwhelmed with leadership. I am a youth leader, a worship leader, I am a full time student, a co-worker...!"  In total frantic mode he vented on how overwhelming it is at times to take on leadership roles in church. All while being a full time student--I totally feel you on that one Carlos--and doing his best to be a responsible worker. Fact is, I'm sure several of us church workaholics have been there. Umm..."me, me, me, me!!"

Taking on a  role, or task at church, weather it's leading a group of believers in worship,  teaching youth, taking care of someone else's kid during service, or vacuuming the floors of the church every weekend, requires much commitment and responsibility. But ultimately heart. Our lives encompass more than just our responsibilities we take on at church. Some of us work, go to school, and take care of a family. I, on the one hand, get it. As a Sunday school teacher who teaches Jr. higher's, a full time student getting ready to graduate  whose freaking out about the future, a blogger, (Note: blogging is much harder than you think) I have to learn how to balance and prioritize myself. And making sure I don't go permanently insane. And. I'm not even working right now, and it still seems like I have no time for anything! Teaching Jr. higher's is awesome. I love every part of it. My amazing students, the lesson planning, etc. Nevertheless, when our lives are going 90 miles per hour, kinda like mine, the blessing, the joy and the satisfaction that come with taking on church affiliated responsibilities can easily become burdens. If we allow them too. So. If you have a position in church or are praying on taking on one, here are some tips I've learned, through my experiences, that work to make the most out of the position the Lord has put you in or the position you are waiting on to take. 

• It's ok to say no: Don't take on more responsibilities than you can handle. Taking on various tasks at once can be overwhelming and stressful. 
• Pray, pray, pray: Being full time in His ministry, Jesus made it a daily priority to invest in some alone time with the Father and to pray Mark 1:35, Mark 6:45-46. If you haven't yet, it is very important, especially if you're in ministry to take some time alone and ask the Lord to renew your strength. 
• Commitment is key: Once you decide to take on a certain ministry try and stick with it. Flaking is never cool. Mathew 5:37
• Know your gifts and talents: We all posses talents that are given to us by God for the benefit of the church (the body of Christ) 1 Corinthians 14:12. Try and choose specific ministries you can participate in where you can exercise your gifts and talents. If you have yet to know what your talents are, earnestly pray for revelation and seek council from a leader you trust. 
• Work for God, not man:  Colossians 3:23-34 If you serve in church, Do.It.For.The.Lord, not man. Working to gain praise from man brings frustration and dissatisfaction.  
• Seek constructive criticism: The Lord deserves excellence, so it's a good thing to seek out advice on how one can improve in a certain area. If you teach, ask how you can prepare a better lesson plan, if you sing, ask your worship leader or someone who knows music what to improve on vocally, etc. We can all use some help sometimes. 

I hope these tips helped. If you serve at your church or are planning to serve in a certain ministry....do yo thang but do it for the Lord. Oh. And it's totally okay to have some f-u-n. I absolutely looove just taking the time to just laugh with my students and getting to know them more. Unfortunately, we make things difficult for ourselves sometimes and we burden ourselves for no reason. Working for the Lord is a blast and it can overflow with abundant blessings. Love what you do and love the One your doing it for. 

P.S: Got more tips? I would looovvee to read them and get your opinion on this subject. :)  

<3 Fer