Protect Thyself
Part 4
So far we've talked about taking yourself too seriously and acting as a replacement for God.
Now I want to cover the third key point...and probably the most important. It seems that this last
point, "get away" is the easiest and most enjoyable part of protecting yourself. The truth is
although this is the most enjoyable it is also probably the most difficult.
"Why would getting away be the most difficult?" your mind is questioning right now. "I can't wait
for my vacation time!" Really?
While that may sound good, let's take a serious look at these "vacation times" and see the
difference between them and the real "get away" times. There really is a difference. First,
vacation times usually involve family members, planned vacations and planned itineraries. You
know when you go to Disney World; you’re rushing through the parks, keeping a schedule
because you don't want to miss anything. Or perhaps, it's that "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to Paris
France...and again it's the constant schedule so you see all the sights.
For you, maybe it's that conference, retreat, or other spiritual event that you go to for your
spiritual refreshment. But again, if you take a serious look at the conference schedule you'll find
your running from morning to night to the different venues offered. While those are wonderful
and create a lot of memories, getting away is something much more spiritual than a vacation or
a conference. And while they are all beneficial at various levels for you, there is something that's
much more important for your spiritual health.
In order to build the premise on which I want to build my case, let's talk about why you need to
"get away." Every day you wake up; have a somewhat daily routine that governs your day. You
have meetings, office work, sermon preparation and a host of other duties you must attend. In
addition, there's the battles you must engage as part of the territory of ministry. There's the
family battles your church members bring to you to solve…or at least try to through counseling.
There are the church battles of employees, leaders, finances, and volunteers that constantly
arise needing your attention. And of course, the spiritual battles you personally fight over
worthiness, abilities, and all the junk the enemy throws at you. Simply put, you do battle almost
daily because your God given assignment is also your battleground.
Once you understand that your assignment is also your battleground, you will then understand
the need to get out of the battles by separating yourself from your battleground. Let's grasp the
truth about your battleground. It is in your "specific" battleground that the enemy has the most
concentrated power against you. It is there that he uses his demonic forces to consistently bring
about all his devices against you. In your battleground is where the "head games" are the
strongest. It is also the place where the bombardment never seems to stop. If it's not one thing
it's another you have to deal with. When we really learn what it is to "get away," then we truly
can get away. So how do we do that?
First getting away doesn't always mean a two week vacation. "Getting away" can be as simple
as a day trip with your spouse to spend "uninterrupted" time together; time spent NOT talking
about ministry stuff. So many times we try to take a day to ourselves and end up talking about
the very stuff we're trying to get away from. What's happening is you're still engaged in the
battles of your battleground. In order to truly get out of the battle, for even a short day trip you
must, and I repeat, "you must" agree there will be no ministry talk. Spend the day enjoying each
other, the scenery, the new discoveries you and your spouse experience.
Learn to enjoy the moment, the location, the food, whatever the opportunity and rid your
thoughts of all the concerns facing you when you return. Once you learn to do this, you truly
remove yourself from the battle, even if for a few hours, and your mind gets to refocus, refresh
and be restored. The weight of "your" battles lift and your focus becomes clear again.
Surprisingly, this can actually happen in simple day trips if you can force yourself to keep battle
discussions, strategies and concerns out of the day.
Of course, on longer vacations, if you find time to allow your mind rest, the restoration process
is deeper and longer lasting. I know that in the past, I have sat starring out at the ocean for four
or five days because my mind was fried. That happened because I was in my battlefield far too
long at one stretch. My wife and I make every Friday a date day, and for the most part, get out
of town (a.k.a. our battleground) which makes us less vulnerable to the attacks of our adversity.
Over fifty percent of those entering ministry will drop out. Many marriages will wind up in
divorce. Ministers will need counseling; families will spend days of fatigue, arguing, and
frustrated all because they never get away. In this series, if you don't get anything else, get
this...in order to survive the battles, avoid becoming a battlefield causality, or even worse... the
walking wounded...get away! Your very life, family and ministry depend on it.
This concludes our series on learning to protect yourself. If you haven’t read the previous
articles, I would suggest you do so. They will be a wealth of information for you in remaining
faithful to your calling until the end. Press on towards the mark of the high calling!