Monday, November 30, 2015

What is Missing in this Diagram of Leadership Care?

YOU ARE.

"Watch over YOUR heart....."  The fatal flaw of Leadership care is NOT tending to your concentric circles; it is NOT tending to YOU.  Burnout is the leading cause of many in the clergy leaving the ministry.  Leadership care should first be rooted in a theological rationale of Self-care.  And, this theological hope comes in a SABBATH Rhythm - Rest & Steward. This is the order of creation.  Jesus, however, gives us the proper alignment of our Sabbathing. Jesus is our Sabbath.  Jesus is your REST!  He invites you into his rest.  He invites you into a DAY of rest.   We join our Creator in redeeming creation.  Rest reminds me HE ultimately CARES.  I can trust Him to care for the relationships in this concentric circle.  I can rest trusting HE loves me - not for my doing but for what He had done.  His GRACE gift is sufficient for me and how I see me.  His grace is also sufficient to lead me to care for others.

Jesus also invites you to steward the Gospel story in creation with Father, Son, and Spirit 6 days of the week. He invites you to GOSPEL yourself, to steward your relationship with HIM as servant/friend.  Then, steward these relationships. Gospel these concentric circles of relationship. Sacrificially serve them as Christ served you.  Care for them, but remind yourself God the Father, Son, Spirit cares for them much more than you.  Rest in this.  Steward this responsibility in the shadow of Jesus is my SABBATH.  You and I must tend our soul.  We must tend our relationships.  Ministry is about relationships. First, REST!  Then, steward ALL these relationships!

So, Love God; Love your neighbor; Love your neighbor as you love YOURSELF.  Healthy Leadership Care roots itself in this theological axiom!

WATCH your heart.  Invite others to watch with you.

Grace and Peace!

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