Pace Yourself
by Tom Ellsworth
Pace yourself: that’s wisdom suitable for a seasoned athlete – or a dedicated elder. With the COVID-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics beginning this month, many Americans will be tuning in to watch all the games from the artistry of gymnastics to the exhaustion of track and field events as well as everything in between. Even Olympic badminton can be exciting.
Not all the Olympic events receive as much televised attention or fan interest, but all teach us lessons about skill and tenacity. And this is where pacing becomes part of the equation. An athlete may possess great skill and have incredible tenacity, but if that athlete does not pace himself or herself for the long haul, the skill and tenacity will be lost.
What’s wrong with an un-paced life?
An un-paced life is wearisome. Expending your energy quickly may be good for sprinters, but is disastrous for distance athletes, leaving them weary when they need the strength to finish. Too many weary days in church work and you’ll be flirting with burnout. As burnout sets in, your demeanor becomes irritable and inconsiderate. Tempers flare. Words become terse, patience grows short, email and text responses take on an abrupt feel that leave people wondering how to interpret them. Your usual, loveable personality packs up and goes on an extended vacation. And while you may be able to keep it together in public, your family often suffers through your meltdown when you shuffle back home after a tough meeting.
An un-paced life often lacks integrity. When you bite off more than you can chew, some responsibilities are hard to swallow. You get IRS heartburn – Integrity-at-Risk Syndrome. Some wise sage once said, “The person who burns the candle at both ends isn’t nearly as bright as he thinks he is.” When exhausted, you are more tempted to cut corners in order to finish the work regardless of its quality. Cutting corners isn’t ethical; it prevents you from doing your best for the Kingdom. What’s more, you won’t find personal satisfaction in a job poorly done.
As the burnout deepens, you’ll be tempted to do more than just cut corners – you may even consider compromising your integrity. Normally, such credibility-challenged thoughts would be easily dismissed, but when you are mentally and emotionally exhausted, integrity can take a beating.
I enjoy anything that has to do with aircraft and aviation history. One of my favorite television series from the late seventies portrayed the WW2 squadron known as the Black Sheep Squadron. Flying F4U Corsairs in the south Pacific, the series loosely reenacted the antics of squadron leader “Pappy” Boyington and the Marine pilots under his command. Some time ago, I discovered a website that offered the entire television series for sale on DVD. The site presented the product as “all thirty-seven uncut NBC episodes” – what a find! When the DVDs arrived, they were homemade discs copied from VHS tapes of the series as aired on the History Channel. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Technically, I received all 37 episodes (with commercial interruptions as a bonus!) but I was far from satisfied. The product had been misrepresented – corners had been cut and integrity sacrificed. The Church can’t afford such fallout from your burnout. Former US Senator Alan Simpson said it best, “If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.”
Consider these simple ideas to help you keep pace:
Be realistic in how much you can give to the role of elder. Figure in extra time to compensate for challenges and issues that will inevitably arise in church work. Don’t take on more than you can accomplish with excellence.
Find ways to clear your mind and refresh your energy. When the burdens of leadership weigh you down, step back for a moment. Pause and read a chapter from your favorite style of book. Take a nice walk in God’s creation or work up a sweat exercising – it will help restore your focus. Talk with a trusted friend and enlist their prayer support. Watch a funny movie and laugh out loud. Any of these activities can help refresh and restore your passion for your role as an elder.
Reserve time for your family or close friends. Invest emotional capital in those irreplaceable relationships so that when you are required to spend extended hours in the church’s ministry, they will provide your biggest support and encouragement.
Most importantly, make quality time for your relationship with God. Pray, spend time in the Word and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Your reputation as a church leader is dependent upon your relationship with the Lord. Make him your priority!
As an elder, you are a marathon runner. The church cannot afford for you to collapse halfway through this leadership race. Pace yourself so that you can “…press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:14 (NIV)
