Spiritual growth

As bivocational ministers our ministry must flow out of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If we are not growing in that relationship our ministry will suffer as will our own spiritual growth. God called us to be something before He called us to do something. We were called to be disciples before we were called to our ministry roles. Yet, anyone who has served in ministry for very long knows how difficult it can be to have time for our personal spiritual growth.

At different times in my ministry I have found that I was spending very little time alone with God. Between the demands of my work, my family, and my ministry there was little time for "alone time" with God. My Bible reading was for sermon and lesson preparation. My prayers were often for other people or were part of public worship. My own spiritual growth was being neglected because of all the other demands on my life. Ministers cannot effectively serve others if they are not experiencing personal growth in their own relationships with God. I knew that, but at times I have struggled with taking the time to ensure my spiritual growth.

This year I am again reading through the Bible and spending time in morning prayer before starting the day. I also try to pray the Lord's Prayer several times a day. Last fall I had a Doctor of Ministry class taught by Elmer Towns that focused on the practice of prayer, and he taught us the value of praying the Lord's Prayer. I have found that to be very helpful. Many times at night praying the Lord's Prayer is the last thing I do as I lay down, and I often pray it again before rising in the morning. It's just one of the things I do to help me stay focused on God.

A colleague of mine will take a sabbatical later this year, and his project is to identify the ways ministers ensure their spiritual renewal and growth. I wonder...what works for you? Do you find this to be an area in your life where you sometimes struggle? What have you found to be helpful to you in your devotional life, and what things are not helpful? Please share with us because I think this is an area where we all can learn from one another.