Here is my second installment of “Things That Didn’t Matter To Me That Now Do (Part 2).” For a complete picture, you also need to see Part 1, and Part 3 as well as my Top 10 List of Things I Don’t Care About Anymore (Part 1 and Part 2).

2. Sleep: Two kids will do that to you. As will 30+ years. Some of my most productive time is in the early morning hours before the rest of the world is awake. When my mind is rested and my body is also taken care of, I am at my best. When that complex dichotomy of the material and the immaterial me is not being taken care of, things just don’t go as well. We all have a busy season and at times get stretched thin. But this has to be on rare exceptions, not the norm.

I understand sometimes we have to do what it takes to get by. Some of you have a boss with somewhat insensitive expectations for your job, and you’re working 70+ hours a week to stay ahead. There was a stretch in seminary where I went to school full time, held down a full time job, and two part time gigs as well. Your monthly bills will arrive whether or not you thought about how to pay them or not. But at some point you have to eat a decent meal, and get some sleep.

3. Systems: I don’t know too many churches that enjoy a consistent degree of success that have not thought through how and why they do things and what their goals are for the next year and five years… do you? Whether it is a small group ministry, a Sunday morning worship service, a discipleship group (or whatever), there needs to be some sort of system and process in place for it to all work. Plan all you can, just remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Figure out what needs to be done, and then how it will happen, who will do it, what their time-frame is, how much it will cost, and how you’ll determine if it was successful.

Relationships do not need to be built on a system (and shouldn’t be), but a ministry without proper organization will strain and at times damage those relationships.

That is my second installment of “Things That Didn’t Matter To Me That Now Do (Part 2).” For a complete picture, you also need to see Part 1 and  Part 3 , as well as my Top 10 List of Things I Don’t Care About Anymore (Part 1 and Part 2).