Iron Sharpens Iron

Recently I was in a leadership meeting at church and one of the ministry heads was talking about being frustrated with the way things were going to the point of questioning whether they were really called to the ministry and should they continue as a leader. We can all have this type of frustration in our lives in the church regarding ministry and at home in our personal lives as well. I believe it all originates from the same place.
When we have full lives serving God, raising families, and performing on a job we tend to get on automatic pilot. We are confident in God and our relationship with him, we are confident in ourselves and the decisions we make that impact the family, and we are even confident on the job. If you are anything like me you can get so caught up in performance that you sometimes forget to invite God into the process. There was a time when I would start any ministry project or any endeavor in my personal life with the asking of help from God. I would first consult Him and pray for wisdom and discernment.
As I became more experienced I began to assume God would just bless what ever I put my hands to and provide the help I needed. Over time I began to realize that by not communicating with him first my love relationship began to grow cold and I began to take his presence and divine favor for granted.
The Lord wants a relationship with us more than anything else. I was behaving like the church at Ephesus in Rev 2. I was doing good works for God but I forgot my first love. I then start to minister under my own power and I wonder why I feel tired and spent.
I can never neglect my quiet time alone with God in prayer, meditation and study of the word. I began doing things with God in the first place because I would feel his presence so strongly when I did. That is what I love! When I communicate with God I feel good.
If you find yourself getting weary in well doing, or ministry has lost its luster, and aspects of family life have become a burden or whatever it is get back to your first love. Get alone with God and worship him. When I get back to basics doing what worked so well for me in the past and got me to where I am today with my focus on God all other areas of my life improve and the joy of my salvation returns.

Clif