A few years ago while we were on furlough, I met up with an evangelist friend as our schedules put us close together so that our families could fellowship for a couple of hours at a McDonald’s. We were talking about the different aspects of our ministries and sharing encouragements as well as some discouragements. He said something to me that really put it all in prospective. He said, “I am weary in the ministry but not weary of the ministry.” Wow! Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Here in Haiti the living conditions are rough. The roads are rough. The benches at the churches are rough. The heat is rough. The spiritual battle is rough (as I am typing this I can hear the voodoo drums from our neighbor across the river). With all honesty I tell you that some Sunday mornings I have to force myself to get going. Please don’t misunderstand, I am looking forward to “being” at church, but the getting there is what causes me to want to stay home. If you have never visited Haiti before, keep your judgments to yourself. Those who have been here can understand completely what I am getting at. I am not begrudging the ministry but the travel and conditions that I minister in. One of the things that makes us weary is that we never seem to get things done. Continue reading
Ministry Burnout
Avoiding Burnout on the Mission Field
When I was a new Christian, I remember going to camp meetings and revival services where the preacher would say, “I would rather burn out for Jesus than rust out for the devil.” Continue reading