1. Fill Up Your Tank
Each Monday both as interns and when Next Level was here for the month of July, we had the opportunity to learn leadership skills from Terry. Not only did he teach us what it means to be leaders in the ministry, but he taught us invaluable lessons about life. Whether it be how to write a resume, how to present yourself as a confident person, how to plan an event, or just how to be plain awesome, Terry covered it all. But the subject that stood out the most to us the topic of 'filling up your tank'. So often we get caught up in our busy lives doing unnecessary - and even necessary - things that just wear us out. Before we know it, we can't give ourselves to anything because we've given part of ourselves to everything. Then we find ourselves exhausted and lacking passion in the very thing that we know we're gifted at. For us, we have learned that rejuvenation is critical. REST is critical! If you've been with us for 100% Jesus, we've talked about the fact that the Sabbath isn't an option, it's CRITICAL! But what we've learned is part of being able to be productive and to give the best of what you have is to refuel yourself. Sabbath rest looks different for many people, and it can range from sleep to riding bikes to watching movies all day, but it's important to find out what works for you. It's also important to figure out when you're running out of gas and when you need to refuel.
2. Work In Your Giftedness
So how do you keep from running out of fumes? You figure out what your gift is and use it! We were all blessed with gifts from God and they are all different....thankfully! In 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 Paul talks about how the Spirit has given each person a gift "to produce what is beneficial" (HCSB). We're all called to participate in the kingdom, but a lot of times that looks very different from the call God's placed on our neighbor. That's how we function! However, don't get this confused with willingness. As we discussed these issues with Terry, we realized something. Both of us as interns will (most likely) be willing to do anything you ask of us - even if that means Derek is crunching numbers for a budget (which he hates by the way...). So with that, if we make Derek crunch numbers for a considerable amount of time, he's going to get burned out quickly, but that does not mean he wasn't willing to do the job. We're realizing that by working in your giftedness, not only do you enjoy what you're doing, but you're more productive and beneficial to the ministry. Plus, if you're working in your giftedness, then it probably doesn't feel like work! It's what you're built to do! Don't get us wrong, you can still run out of gas, but refer back to point 1 in recognizing when that happens.
3. Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
We're a body. Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:14 "So the body is not one part but many" and in 1 Corinthians 12:18 "But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted". We're built for community and we're built to work together. Yet, so often we think we need to do it all ourselves. Most of that derives from selfishness and pride. For example, as interns when we are given a task, we feel as if the entire project is on our shoulders. And what we fail to remember sometimes is that we may not be gifted in administration, or vision, or whatever that gift may be. We need others to help us stay on track. When planning events, we can brainstorm all day long but we need someone with administrative skills to step in and say 'let's get this started!' The cool thing about this point is that while it works in our individual lives, it works within our families as well. And that's why we love NB Families. We're here for each other. We can't do all of this alone and we shouldn't have to. The parts make up the whole of the body, and we are the body of Christ. So don't be afraid to ask for help!We're truly honored to be part of this NB Family.
Lacey and Derek
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