You are busy, overwhelmed, red-lining most days, running on empty, harassed, and helpless like a sheep without a shepherd.
OK, so perhaps not that bad.
But you are a ministry leader in a church and your work is never done. The list of things you can think of to do is huge. The list of things that others can think of for you to do is infinite. Most days, you face the challenge with a measure of courage. Most days, you don’t finish what you hoped to get done when you started the day. Is that closer to your reality?
If so, then you are making the wise choice to ask, “Who needs more friends and associates?” Perhaps you should ask that question even more often – not cynically but with genuine intent to listen to the Holy Spirit and make a wise choice. The wise choices you make today may not bear fruit this week, this year, or even this decade.
For example, your choices to control your weight are so important. In that case, it is 80% diet and 20% exercise, but getting back on track in a decade will be much harder than holding the line with incremental improvements day by day. You knew that. Who needs that? Most of us, you will agree.
Who you gain, nurture, friendship, understanding, and just plain enjoyment with is more significant than you may realize because it will impact everything, including things like your focus to keep your church body in line. It will impact your ministry, to be sure, but much more. It will impact your friendship circle, your family circle, and your lifelong sense of satisfaction and direction.
I expect you might be thinking that this is an overstatement. Why not listen? It won’t cost you much time to consider it. The first question might be, “Who are we talking about here?” Or perhaps you come to the discussion with, “How much time will it take me?” or “How could I ever fit that in?” You might be thinking more legalistically, “Is this a requirement?” Maybe you are wondering about the logistics, “Will this cost me family time or work time?”
Whatever your question in this regard, there are positive answers. Because of the Internet, you can keep this discussion ongoing as a work in progress. If you get involved for a year and make an honest effort by putting in a few hours a month to benefit your positive associations with colleagues, what is the worst thing that can happen? You might make a new bff and you will be glad you did!