12 Lessons for My Younger Self
Here are some things I wish I could tell myself 25 years ago. I knew most of them back then, but didn’t really practice them as much as I’d like.
- Stay close to God. Everything in ministry is the overflow of one’s relationship to Jesus. Robert Murray M’Cheyne was right: “The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness.”
- Practice the basics. Your ministry will never be better than your personal walk with God. Learn how to pray. Spend time in the Word. Get grounded in the gospel. Repeat. You’ll never outgrow these.
- Be a thinker. Practical books have their place, but books that stretch your thinking are often more practical than the practical books. Read theology. Think theologically. Never stop learning.
- Sabbath. Learn how to stop and rest. It’s good to know that the world and ministry go on quite well without you. Work hard and rest hard.
- Avoid fads. Your ministry will be better off without them. Aspire to a fads-free ministry.
- Learn how to serve. The world will tell you that your ministry isn’t significant if it’s not big. Ignore this. Some of the best ministry goes unnoticed by everyone but God. Be content with being unknown, and count it a privilege to love and serve the people God has entrusted to you.
- Learn how to preach. If you are a middling preacher, become the best middling preacher you can be. There may be better preachers than you, but they will never preach a better message, so get that message down and deliver it as faithfully as you can.
- Love your wife and family. Don’t sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry. Eat at least one meal with them daily, and have one significant conversation with your wife every day. Your family is also your ministry.
- Expect to be disappointed by people. Don’t become cynical, but don’t pin your hopes on others. They will let you down. Love them, but don’t be surprised by their imperfections. Disappointment and hurt are part of ministry.
- Deal with your junk. Take seriously your idols, besetting sins, and unresolved hurts. As Owen put it, kill sin, or it will be killing you. Get help with this. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
- Find some close friends. Find some safe friends who know the worst about you, but love you anyway. Cultivate those friendships, and develop gospel honesty.
- Beware of coasting. You will coast; you’re not a machine. But guard against coasting for too long. Keep your relationship with God fresh, and maintain urgency and passion in your ministry.
