Avoiding Brownout

This is my 13th year of ministry as a girls minister. I never had 13 years of girls ministry in my telescope when I took this job. I do know that the reason I’ve been able to stay in ministry for so long has to do with several things. The first thing is that I would keep going back to my calling when I felt like quitting. I knew that God called me to do what I was doing. Now that didn’t mean every day was divinely blissful, but it does mean that every day is divinely purposed. When you realize that God is the one calling you to “this”, then you can re-focus and align your day to serve Him and not anyone else. We don’t serve Mama bears. We don’t serve mean girls. We don’t serve our bosses. We don’t serve ourselves. We serve Him! When we serve Him, guess what—-it overflows to those He has placed above us, below us, and around us.

You’ve heard the term “black out” before. That’s when all power is lost and nothing is able to run. However, brown-out is the term I want us to consider today. Not so much in electrical usage but in ministry usage. How do we avoid a brown-out happening in our hearts and lives as we pour into others on a daily basis?

The area I want you to consider today is your power to minister in the areas He has called you to. When we over-serve, our momentum is robbed. We also rob others of getting to minister. We cannot do it all! And this is a lesson I have to continually check for myself. If we try to do it all…we will experience brown-out. That will then lead to burnout and ultimately to black out. We’ll be off the “field” with no power.

So what is a brown out?

We go hard as girls ministers. I’ve talked with many of you and heard the stories. There seems like there is never a day where there isn’t something that we could go rushing off to, or that needs our attention, or that we have our “hands” in. STOP right there! You are in danger of a brown out in your heart grid.

Here are a set of questions to ask yourself:

• Do you think you are replaceable or not?
• Are you bargaining time and boundaries so that you can be present for ministry events? (EXAMPLE: “I was planning on going with friends tonight but Sarah asked me to show up at her 2 hour play. I know her small group leader is going, but I really need to be present. I’ll cancel my plans on my off day to be present.”)
• Do you think you have to be everywhere and everything to one person or even many people?
• Do you ever say “no” to people, places, or things that demand you to say yes?

I’m going to help you out right now. Here is a GIRLS MINISTRY PASS. Print it off and tape it somewhere. Remind yourself to use it regularly. I have an appointment scheduled on my calendar that is untouchable to anyone else. No one can reschedule that block of time. It is my “off day”. I had to start doing this because I was in danger of brown out many years ago. This has worked for me. So enjoy this gift of A GIRLS MINISTRY PASS. You and I both need it.