1. Stay close to God. As rigid as some people feel God is, isn’t it amazing at how things go smoothly when we are close to Him. When we follow His ways we receive blessings as a result. When we venture out on our own, we receive negative consequences.

Common sense question: Do we get more joy from blessings or consequences? So how do we stay close to God so we can gain the blessing of His presence? Go to the next tip.

2. Have a daily quiet time. Owen Carr put it perfectly, “A day without prayer is a boast against God.”  There is no need to make this a complex ritual. Get a daily devotional book, or workbook, or follow a simple pattern. One I like includes reading a passage and meditating on it for a few minutes to consider what God is trying to say to me through His Word. Then I think of a song that relates to the verse(s) and quote the lyrics or sing them as praise to the Father. Finally, I say a prayer that reflects the verse and how I want to surrender to God on the area studied. (You’ll get 10 of these on page 153).

3. Show interest in others. We all know that when we place our focus on others, we think less about ourselves. Our problems suddenly become insignificant. A peace and contentment comes from letting go of ourselves and using our energy to benefit another. Philippians 4:3 tells us to look at the interests of others and not only at our own interests.

4. Stick to a savings plan and stay out of debt. Alright, alright! Ministry is not the best place to do those two things, but financial woes always get us down. The best way to stay debt free is to be debt free in the first place. But for the sake of argument let’s imagine that you have some debt and no savings plan. Allow me to suggest three things.

1. Do not put anything else on credit. If you don’t have the cash for it, then don’t get it.

2. Pay off the existing debt from the smallest to the largest.  Put as much toward your debt each month as you can.

3. Start a consistent savings plan even if it’s $10 a month. Stick with it and when your debts are paid increase your saving (page 132).

5. Be creative. There’s nothing fun about being tied down physically, emotionally, or intellectually. In ministry we need to set ourselves free to be creative. Approach lessons from a different angle. Have teens sit in your chair when they come in your office. Watch the scene from Dead Poets Society when Robin Williams has all his students stand on the desk as see things from a new perspective. Doesn’t the thought of that kind of living bring joy to you?

6. Give thanks and be grateful for what you have. When we live in the land of “I want” we find that we are rarely satisfied. No matter how much we accumulate or the accolades we gather there always seems to be something else we want. Combat the “I want” feelings with thanksgiving. Make a simple list of the things you have that most people on the planet don’t have, yet most of us take for granted. Things like a place to live, freedom, food and clothing. Keep the list on you at all times and when the “I want” thoughts enter take out the list and reflect on what you already have.

7. Listen to the wisdom of others and act on it. In our do-it-yourself society we may start to think that if we can’t do it alone, it’s not worth doing. On the contrary. Keep an ear open for those who have lived and made the mistakes you want to avoid, and for those who reap the blessings you desire. Proverbs 13:20 says that he who walks with the wise will grow wise.

Your Partners in Youth Ministry,

Paul & Al

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New Lesson series on Prayer. Lesson 3... http://tinyurl.com/2z8btu

Growing up Without Selling Out : The Professionalization of Youth Ministry (Sep 28, 2007 at 2:33 PM) - My brother and his wife spend most of their waking hours thinking about drag racing. Their whole lives revolve around race cars: they build them, race them, rebuild them, and race them again.

Identity (Sep 26, 2007 at 2:15 AM) - Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? Perhaps you’ve been told that you remind someone of their close friend- that you have an uncanny resemblance.

Daily Bible Readings (Sep 21, 2007 at 2:37 AM) - Encourage your teens to get into God's Word daily.
 

Use Your Tongue Wisely (Sep 19, 2007 at 2:18 AM) - It usually takes a pretty long time for you to build a good reputation. People don’t say good things about you just because they think it’s the right thing to do.

Simple Guidelines for Discipleship (Sep 14, 2007 at 3:04 AM) - We, as youth ministers, are constantly trying to get our teens to disciple others.

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