To do or not to do

E. Stanley Jones wrote, "Your capacity to say no determines your capacity to say yes to greater things." Bivocational ministers consistently point to time issues as the biggest challenges they face. There are tremendous demands on the life of every bivocational minister, but one of the reasons many of us struggle in the area of time is that we find it hard to say no to anyone.

Most people feel called into ministry to serve other people. Any time we say no to someone or to some opportunity it feels like we are failing to serve. I know this is true in my life, and I've had enough bivocational ministers admit to me their own challenges in this area to know it is true in the lives of many of us. We don't want to disappoint people, and most of all we don't want to disappoint God. Refusing an opportunity to serve someone can feel like we are failing God, and none of us wants to do that.

At the same time we need to realize that every resource is limited including the resource of our time. We do not have unlimited amounts of time, and there are legitimate demands on our time that we have to meet. As a bivocational minister you have either a full-time or part-time job that demands a certain number of hours each week. You have family responsibilities that must not be neglected. There are tasks at the church that only you can do. To stay spiritually and emotionally strong you need to set aside time each day for God. Finally, it's important that you invest in your own well-being by taking time for yourself. These are non-negotiable items that will require a certain number of hours of your life each week. After setting aside time to eat and sleep, just how many hours do you have left for other efforts?

Too often we overload our schedules because we don't want to disappoint anyone. Then when an emergency occurs we have no time to respond to it without seriously overloading ourselves and taking time away from other responsibilities. Unfortunately, when this occurs we often take time away from our families or from our own self-care. While this may occasionally be necessary, doing so on a regular basis will cause long-term damage to our families and to our own well-being.

Such overloaded schedules also means that when a great opportunity for ministry comes along we have no time for it. We have so committed our limited time to maintenance items that we have no time for new opportunities that God may send our way.

Having a Daytimer that is overloaded with commitments is not a sign of spirituality or commitment to ministry. It is a sign that you struggle with priorities and the ability to say no. Is there any place written in your Daytimer for a date with your spouse? Is there any time scheduled in your Daytimer for personal growth? Are there blank days in your schedule where things can be moved if you have an emergency that requires you to have to rearrange your schedule?

As a bivocational minister we will always struggle with time issues, but let's not compound them by failing to act wisely in the commitments we make. Set aside time for the things that are most important to you, and set aside time when activities can be rescheduled if need be. It will greatly reduce the stress you feel and make you more productive and effective in your ministry and in your relationships with others.