Don’t be boring …
Too many ministry leaders slowly allow their role to become their identity. Over time, they stop being a person who serves in ministry and become nothing but “the ministry guy.” Their world shrinks. Their conversations shrink … which makes their thinking and relationships shrink. Eventually, they become boring. One-dimensional people whose entire personality revolves around “the ministry”. So boring.
Ministry, business, career or life in general, is that you? Are you so one-dimensional that the people closest to you know you only talk about “_______” with them?
I’ve met lots of people and ministry leaders like that. Good people. Faithful men. But honestly? Sometimes painfully uninteresting. Every conversation comes back to ministry strategy, problems, fundraising ... they’ve lost touch with the wider world God created around them.
That’s not healthy leadership or friendships.
One of the reasons the English missionary, William Carey has long been a hero of mine is that he was anything but boring. Yes, Carey gave his life to the Gospel and the nations, but he was also deeply curious about the world God made. He loved gardening and approached it with an enviable passion. He was fascinated by geography, maps, languages, animals, travel and other cultures. He loved adventure and exploration. He was intellectually alive.
Stuff like that matters.
The best people and leaders I know are most often ones with broad curiosity and healthy interests outside of their formal roles. They read ... lots! They travel. They learn. They create. They build relationships with people who don’t always think or look or vote like they do.
Like William Cary, I come alive when fishing the pristine lakes of Canada or standing at the edge of a field opening day of Pheasant season. The joy of improving my shooting skills with friends gives my mind a healthy break. Traveling internationally with Janell keeps us informed about global realities. Working in the garden or playing guitar is just plain good for my soul. None of these things compete with family or ministry—they actually help keep me healthier, more grounded, and more creative as a husband, grandfather … and as a leader.
These moments away remind me that God’s calling for each of us is way bigger and more thrilling than any of us can imagine!
Be honest, isn’t there something attractive about people who are spiritually serious yet completely authentic. People who can talk theology one minute and laugh around a fire pit the next. People who are faithful to the Word of God but also fully alive as fun-loving human beings.
Some of the best insights I’ve ever had didn’t come while sitting in my office or at church or at a conference. They came while sitting in a deer stand in central Kansas, or walking a jungle path in west Africa, talking with an experienced farmer friend, or driving through some remote villages in the Omo Valley, or sitting in an airport, or having my quiet time outside as the sun comes up … the list goes on and on …
Christians and ministry leaders should absolutely be devoted to Christ and serious about their Calling. But we should not become dull, isolated, one track minds whose only category in life is ministry.
God did not intend for his people — including missionaries, and ministry leaders to be less human. Healthy ministry should deepen our wonder, expand our curiosity, and increase our appreciation for the beauty and complexity of the world God made.
Don’t let ministry consume your entire identity. Be faithful. Be good. Be grounded. Be spiritually mature.
But for goodness sake, be an interesting person!