Managing the Workload

Very often when talking with leaders about growth and progress in their ministry the very first issue (after the money) is the extra workload it will add to their life.

I was thinking about this a few weeks ago and was reminded of some principles that helped me work through the issue in my own company. I thought you might find them helpful as well.

Let’s begin by admitting that far too often, work is seen only in a negative light. It’s something we “have to do” while we wait to do what “we want to do.” We forget the blessing part and go through our jobs with an attitude that only a pessimist would be proud of.

Not everyone feels this way, but by and large, most people, even our fellow Saints feel that work is mostly punishment.

This comes directly from the curse on Adam in Genesis 3 where God pronounces the punishment for Adam’s sin with words like “cursed, toil, thorns and thistles, sweat of your face.”

By making Adam’s work (and ours) harder than it was God is reminding him that he should have trusted God’s provision of all the other fruit-bearing trees in the garden. The general principle is that God provides good things and that we must trust Him for the things we don’t understand or have.

So what does that have to do with your 21st century ministry and the work you are not doing right now as you read this article?

Well, let’s remember where work came from and why God gave it to us in the first place.

Genesis 2:15 is an interesting verse. It’s where God commanded Adam to “cultivate it and keep it,” speaking of the Garden of Eden. Work was the first thing Adam was to do. He was given all the responsibility, authority and blessing of ruling within the domain God gave him.

1. In work we are sharing in the management of God’s creation.

• Work is a gift. We are handcrafted by God for a purpose and that purpose
includes work. Does it feel like a gift to your staff?

• Work has dignity. God is pleased when we work because we are following the
model He gave us in Adam and Christ.

• All workers have worth and dignity. Our real significance comes from our
position as Saints – not from our job title. How does that look to your
staff?

2. In work we share God’s love with the world. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that we are a chosen people (followers of Christ) and His possession.

How we respond to the ego-driven culture with humility, meekness and by serving others shows that God is still here. In essence, we become an advertisement of God’s reality, goodness and love.

3. In work, we experience God’s Generosity. Through the fruit of our work we get the privilege of giving to others. God doesn’t’ drop manna from Heaven any more, He provides jobs, paychecks and ministry opportunities to show us how to give to others.

4. Through work, we understand God’s provision of rest. The “bigger cause” is Heaven where we get to stop working. That picture of “hope” is why we work – showing unbelievers the love of Christ. Someday, the work will end and the party will begin!

5. Work should be seen as God’s tool to make us more like Him. Colossians 3:23 tells us to “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” How’s that going in your ministry?

We must protect against having an overly “romantic” view of ministry. This can lead to work environments that are authoritarian or over-spiritualized, or just plain difficult places to work.

If you have heard or said anything like the following, maybe it’s time to take a break and rethink some things:

• “I’m serving God. I don’t have time for all that management junk.”

• “God will provide for our needs, I don’t need fundraising.”

• “What do you mean you want a raise, we’re a non-profit.”

In these difficult economic times, why not see if you can make life a little more enjoyable within the ministry, allowing your team members to experience the joy of their work in new ways.

Perhaps it could start with a $5 Starbucks card for someone you find living out your ministry values today. You never know what happiness you might plant.